An Air Combat Command accident investigation into the April 5, 2006 crash of an F-16CJ Viper from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, S.C., finds that the pilot was suffering from physical fatigue generated by flying five high-g sorties in three days and from mental stress due to his upgrade training. Those two conditions engendered gravity-induced loss of consciousness (GLOC). Upon recovering from GLOC, the pilot found his aircraft in an unrecoverable dive, according to an ACC statement. The pilot, Capt. Ted Schultz, ejected, suffering “serious injuries during the high-speed ejection,” and the fighter crashed into the ocean. (We reported earlier that the injuries included two broken legs.)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
