Coast Guard search and rescue forces found Capt. Ted Schultz about two hours after his F-16 crashed into the ocean around 5:40 p.m. Wednesday. Schultz, who is with the 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw AFB, S.C., was flying a training mission with another F-16 at the time of the accident. (Update: Later reports said Schultz suffered two broken legs in the high-speed ejection.)
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.