Hellenic Air Force F-16 crash Albacete

[Zeb]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30991950

[Viper28]

Lakenheath have confirmed that none of there people were hurt during the incident :

While we're thankful that our Liberty Airmen are safe following today's tragic accident in Spain, our thoughts are with those who were lost, their loved ones and their comrades.

[Thunder]

Reports coming out of Greece say the fatalities consist of the two Greek aircrew and eight French personnel on the ground. The Greek crew are confirmed as being from 341 Mira

[MRTT]

Just seen this posted on UKAR, this lists the casualties of the tragic events.

Fatalities
2x Greece
8x France

Injured
9x Italy
10x France

Equipment
1x F-16D- Greece
2x Alpha Jet- France
2x Mirage 2000D- France
2x Rafale- France
1 or 2x (TBC) AMX- Italy

Thoughts are with the families of those who have died and those injured.

[POL]

A direct copy of David Cenciotti's tweet... https://twitter.com/cencio4/status/559821939532132353

[Unknown74]

This is just horrific my sincerest condolences to all affected by this horrific accident.

[Thunder]

The names of the Greek aircrew have formally been released.

Captain (I) Panagiotis Lascaris, 35 years, married with a son, totaling 1,459 flight hours of which 872 hours on F-16
Captain (I) Athanasios Zagkas, 31 years, married with a son and a daughter, with a total of 1,128 flight hours of which the 524 hours on F-16. "


RIP

[lowlevelRAF]

RIP after a terrible event

[Mike]

Sadly another of the French servicemen has died bringing the death toll to 11.

http://www.trust.org/item/20150127110032-0oxs0/

[Avtur]

Sad Day RIP

Geoff

[triumph1]

sad news and my condolences and my thoughts are with the families at this sad time
r.i.p

[The Phantom]

Very tragic

[venom]

my deepest condolances sad event my thoughts are with the familes
colin

[Gary]

Controls failure caused F-16 crash
Engine malfunction alone does not explain why Greek plane veered right after takeoff
Crashed F-16 fighter fell in “worst possible place,” says military
MIGUEL GONZÁLEZ Madrid 2 FEB 2015 - 12:18 CET

A controls failure was behind the crash of a Greek F-16 fighter jet that killed 11 and injured 20 at a Spanish airbase last Monday, according to first investigations.

An engine failure alone could not have been enough to cause the tragedy at Los Llanos base in Albacete, which operates as a NATO training center to improve joint air operations.

Sources familiar with the investigation said that even if the aircraft’s single engine malfunctioned on takeoff, the F-16 should have normally continued in a straight line and the pilots would have been able to control where their plane crashed.

The fighter jet did a 45-degree right turn and headed straight for the hangar

Instead, the fighter jet veered 45-degrees right and headed straight for the hangar where Italian and French aircraft loaded with fuel were waiting to take part in a routine training exercise. As well as those planes’ pilots, ground personnel were also in the area.

The F-16 barely rose a few meters off the ground and never pulled up its landing gear. Both Greek pilots on board ejected before crashing, but because by then the aircraft had tipped sideways, they were sent straight against the ground. Their bodies were found outside the hangar.

The nine other casualties were French military personnel.

The Albacete base had all necessary safety measures in place and the affected countries did not raise questions

While the F-16’s black boxes are analyzed, investigators have already determined that the airplane did not hit the parked jets directly, but instead struck the ground a few meters away, burst into flames, and skidded into the area where two Italian AMX jets and two French Alfa Jets and one Mirage were on standby.

The F-16 was the fourth aircraft to take off as part of a training exercise involving nearly 30 planes from seven NATO member states.

Sources consulted by EL PAÍS insisted that all necessary safety measures were in place at the Albacete base. None of the affected countries have raised any questions regarding safety at the site, and the incident is being regarded as a chain of unfortunate events.

Info from elpais.com

[Blackcat1]

Totally tragic

[KINROTATE]

Investigators have linked the probable cause of the crash of this aircraft to incorrect stowage of a checklist. During taxy the rudder trim was dialed into a full deflection. The aircraft could not have been recovered in this configuration, a point made by the investigators that found that no attempt to retract the undercarriage was made - such would have been the surprise to the crew with such aerodynamic forces. The rudder trim does sit in a guarded position in the cockpit.

[Precinct7]

Thanks to a posting on NAMAR, brief report & link to Safety Investigation Report ( 40 pages)
all aircraft destroyed or damaged are identified


Improper rudder trim caused the fatal crash of a Greek F-16 during a NATO training course at Los Llanos AB, Spain, on Jan. 26, investigators determined. The jet's rudder trim was inadvertently set to maximum right deflection, causing the jet to yaw sharply as it lifted off and gained airspeed, the French-led safety investigation board determined. The two-seat F-16D entered a sideslip roughly 60 feet above the ground, causing the pilot to apply hard aft-left stick inputs to recover, inducing high angle of attack and subsequent roll into the ground. Investigators noted that Greek personnel deviated from standard procedures by conducting end-of-runway checks in the parking area. This meant the pilot completed his checklists early and failed to recheck rudder trim before take-off—possibly allowing stray equipment to move the trim wheel unnoticed. Both pilots ejected outside safe ejection parameters and were fatally injured in the crash. Nine French air force ground personnel were killed, several allied airmen were injured, and eight aircraft—including an Air Force F-15E—were damaged or destroyed along with base infrastructure in the crash and ensuing blaze.

http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Do ... eeksib.pdf