Luke F-16 Suffered an Engine Explosion

Aug. 23, 2006

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

An engine explosion caused the April 11, 2006, crash of an F-16 fighter from Luke AFB, Ariz., an Air Force investigation board concluded. According to the report, an engine valve malfunctioned, leading to the explosion and loss of engine thrust. The pilot, Capt. Jason Attaway, ejected safely. Attaway’s F-16 crashed into a cornfield within a couple of miles of the base.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

How New Religious Accommodation Rules for Beards Could Impact Airmen’s Careers

New Report: Air Force Can’t Afford ‘Runaway’ R&D, Needs More Aircraft

Space Force Plans $905 Million for Maneuverable GEO Program

Here’s How the Pentagon Could Keep Paying Troops During the Shutdown

Related

Lawmakers Say Shutdown Has Delayed Secretive New JATM Missile

Oct. 25, 2025
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.

OA-1K Skyraider Crashes in Oklahoma, Crew Uninjured

Oct. 24, 2025
An Air Force OA-1K Skyraider II crashed near Oklahoma City on Oct. 23, with a civilian contractor and Active-duty Airman escaping uninjured. The OA-1K was on a training mission when the crash occurred, less than 10 miles from the base.

How New Religious Accommodation Rules for Beards Could Impact Airmen’s Careers

Oct. 23, 2025
Airmen, Guardians, and other service members that wear beards for religious reasons will be deemed nondeployable as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sweeping crackdown on shaving waivers—a move that would essentially end their careers and one that several former Air Force officials say may go too far in trying…

Space Force Plans $905 Million for Maneuverable GEO Program

Oct. 23, 2025
The Space Force expects to award $905 million in contracts over the next five years through a new Maneuverable GEO program, which aims to form a commercial fleet of mobile communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit.  

New Report: Air Force Can’t Afford ‘Runaway’ R&D, Needs More Aircraft

Oct. 23, 2025
For more than a decade, the Pentagon have steadily invested more and more of its budget in research and development compared to procurement—resulting in a “smaller, older, and less capable force than it needs,” according to a new analysis from the Center for a New American Security think tank.