During the 2011’s Experimental Aircraft Association’s Air Venture Convention being held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the military F-16 jet happened to overshot at the end of the runway and crashed into the nearby grass. The aircraft was landing after its flight with Alabama Air National Guard but was unable to slow down on its way back even after the runway ended.
According to the investigation and news form Air Force; fogging was the main reason for the F-16’s overrun. The reason that F-16 ran off until the end of the runway of the Wittman Regional Airport was that during the landing, the cockpit of the aircraft got foggy. The further investigative report from the Air Force Accident Investigation Board stated that fogging was caused by the aircraft’s Environmental Control System. This resulted in pilot’s vision to be obscure. Other contributing factors in this accident wee the fast touchdown as well as the inadequate aero-banking by the pilot. These components factored in for the increased landing distance.
Further news from Air Combat command reveled that Pilot did tried his best to apply the defog procedure during the landing but if was unsuccessful. The F-16 departed from the paved runway and ended up 300 feet beyond the end of runway into the grassy field.
Pilot was transferred to hospital but came out unharmed through this whole incident. Damages to aircraft have been reported to be approximately of 5.4 million dollars.
