Flight History
On July 7, 2015, about 1101 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150M (N3601V) and a Lockheed Martin F-16CM operated by the US Air Force (USAF) collided in midair near Moncks Corner, South Carolina. The Cessna, operated by a private pilot on a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91, had departed Berkeley County Airport (MKS) at about 1057, destined for Grand Strand Airport, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. No flight plan was filed. The F-16, operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan, had departed Shaw Air Force Base (SSC) at about 1020 for a single-ship operational check flight, with planned practice instrument approaches at Myrtle Beach and Charleston.
After departing SSC, the F-16 proceeded to Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), conducted two practice instrument approaches, then continued toward Charleston Air Force Base/International Airport (CHS). At about 1052, the F-16 pilot contacted the CHS approach controller and requested a practice TACAN approach to runway 15. The controller instructed a heading of 260° and later a descent from 6,000 to 1,600 ft. At about 1055, the F-16 was about 34 nautical miles northeast of CHS.
The Cessna departed MKS from runway 23. At 1057:41, a radar target with a VFR transponder code of 1200, later correlated to the accident Cessna, appeared near the departure end of runway 23 at an altitude of 200 ft. The Cessna climbed and tracked southeast. The pilot did not contact any ATC facilities.
Air Traffic Control Communications and Collision
The CHS automated radar terminal system (ARTS IIE) detected a conflict between the F-16 and the Cessna at 1059:59. At 1100:13, a conflict alert (CA) was presented on the radar display and aurally alarmed, with the aircraft separated by 3.5 nautical miles laterally and 400 ft vertically. At 1100:16, the controller issued a traffic advisory to the F-16 pilot: "traffic 12 o'clock, 2 miles, opposite direction, 1,200 ft indicated, type unknown." At 1100:24, the F-16 pilot responded he was "looking." At 1100:26, the controller advised, "turn left heading 180 if you don't have that traffic in sight." At 1100:30, the pilot asked, "confirm 2 miles?" At 1100:33, the controller stated, "if you don't have that traffic in sight turn left heading 180 immediately." The F-16's ground track began turning southerly.
At 1100:49, the F-16 was 0.5 nautical mile northeast of the Cessna at 1,500 ft, on a track of about 215°, while the Cessna reported 1,400 ft on a track of about 110°. At 1100:53, the controller advised, "traffic passing below you one thousand four hundred [ft]." At 1100:54, the F-16 remained at 1,500 ft, and the last radar return from the Cessna was received. The next radar target for the F-16 was at 1101:13. At 1101:19, the F-16 pilot transmitted a distress call.
Witness Observations
Several witnesses observed the collision. One witness, located adjacent to the west branch of the Cooper River, saw the Cessna flying west to east, then the F-16 flying north to south. He estimated the collision altitude at about 900 ft and noted both airplanes were "very low." The F-16 struck the left side of the Cessna; debris fell, and a large black cloud of smoke appeared but no fire. No evasive maneuvers were observed. After impact, the F-16 "powered up," turned right, and flew southbound. Another witness, in his backyard overlooking the river, saw the Cessna west to east, then the F-16 approaching from the Cessna's left rear. The F-16 collided with the left side; debris fell in his yard. He saw the F-16 try to "pull up" just before impact. After impact, the F-16 turned right and flew south. He then heard several loud "bang" noises.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 150M was a single-engine, high-wing airplane equipped with rotating beacon, anticollision strobe, navigation, and landing lights; operational status at the time could not be determined. It was not equipped with a traffic advisory system (TAS), traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), or automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). It had a King KX 155 VHF radio, a King KT 78 mode C transponder, and an Ameri-King AK-350 altitude encoder. The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 14, 2014.
The F-16CM was a single-seat, turbofan-powered fighter. It was not equipped with TAS, TCAS, or ADS-B. It had a forward-looking radar with a 120° search area, limited by target size and closure rate; USAF personnel believed it would not locate a slow-moving small general aviation aircraft. The radar displayed targets as white squares on multifunction displays; no aural alerts. It also had an IFF interrogator requiring manual initiation. The F-16 was equipped with a basic autopilot providing attitude and altitude hold.
Wreckage and Impact
The Cessna wreckage was recovered over the west branch of the Cooper River, with components spread over about 1,200 ft. The largest portions included the aft fuselage and separate left and right wings within 500 ft northwest of the last radar position. The engine, propeller, and nose landing gear were not recovered. The lower aft engine cowling of the F-16 was recovered near the Cessna's aft fuselage. The F-16 continued flying for about 2.5 minutes after the collision. The pilot activated the ejection system, landed safely by parachute, and incurred minor injuries. The F-16 was destroyed after subsequent impact with terrain and post-impact fire. Radar contact with the F-16 was lost at 1103:17 at 300 ft.