What happened
On 3/1/2017, during a night close-air support (CAS) training sortie at the Red Rio bombing range within the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, an F-16C, tail number 88-0496, erroneously engaged a ground position with 20mm ammunition. The aircraft, operated by the 311th Fighter Squadron from Holloman Air Force Base, was conducting a mission under the supervision of an instructor pilot.
Following a successful bomb pass and two unsuccessful strafing attempts, the mishap pilot directed the aircraft toward the observation point where a ground element was located. The pilot then discharged 155 rounds of 20mm training projectiles. A fragment from one of the bullets struck a civilian contractor in the back of the head. Although medical personnel provided urgent care and transported the individual to a hospital in Alamogordo, the contractor later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation
The Accident Investigation Board examined the actions of both the mishap pilot and the instructor pilot, as well as the mission planning and ground safety protocols. The board reviewed the use of Night Vision Goggles (NVG) during the mission, the configuration of the aircraft—which included a LITENING Gen4 SE targeting pod and an inert laser-guided bomb—and the specific instructions provided by the instructor pilot regarding target identification.
Findings
- The primary cause of the mishap was pilot error, specifically the pilot's misperception that the ground element's location was the intended SA-8 training target.
- The pilot failed to correctly interpret onboard sensor information and instruments that would have directed him to the proper target.
- The instructor pilot’s supervision contributed significantly to the accident due to a failure to effectively cross-monitor the student's performance.
- The instructor pilot misprioritized tasks, focusing on coordinating other aircraft rather than providing direct instruction during the strafing attack.
- Contributing factors included mission planning that was deemed overaggressive and complex for the student's experience level, as well as instructor complacency and overconfidence in the student's ability to manage the night mission.