What happened
On 31 January 2024, an F-16C, tail number 89-2013, was participating in the BEVERLY MORNING local readiness exercise as part of a four-ship formation from the 35th Fighter Squadron. During the mission, the aircraft was positioned fourth in line for aerial refueling from a KC-46 tanker.
After successfully receiving approximately 1,700 pounds of fuel through three contacts, the pilot experienced a loud bang inside the cockpit during the third contact attempt. Upon separating from the tanker, the pilot observed low engine RPMs and high fan turbine inlet temperature (FTIT), which prevented the aircraft from maintaining its altitude or airspeed.
The pilot attempted several engine restarts while descending from 24,000 feet to approximately 8,000 feet MSL, but the engine failed to relight. Because the aircraft was roughly 64 nautical miles from the nearest runway and lacked the glide range to reach an airfield, the pilot descended to 1,500 feet AGL to build enough airspeed for a final climb to 2,000 feet AGL. At that altitude, the pilot successfully ejected. The F-16C subsequently impacted the Yellow Sea approximately 30 nm west of Seosan Air and was destroyed. The pilot sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The Accident Investigation Board examined audio recordings from the pilot and other aircraft in the formation, as well as ground control communications. Because the aircraft was lost at sea and the crash survivable memory unit could not be recovered, investigators relied on witness statements and radio transmissions to reconstruct the sequence of events. The board also reviewed flight data provided by other aircraft present in the refueling airspace.
Findings
- The primary cause of the mishap was an engine stall due to hardware failure.
- A significant contributing factor was the aircraft's distance from the nearest landing site, which left the pilot with insufficient glide distance to reach an airfield following the loss of thrust.
- The engine stall was unrecoverable despite multiple restart attempts by the pilot.