Loss of consciousness by the pilot from high G forces induced during a “planned high-speed turning maneuver” on a training mission caused the crash of an F-16C fighter aircraft 71 miles northwest of Luke AFB, Ariz., on March 14, according to the recently released summary of the investigation into the mishap. The crash killed 2nd Lt. David J. Mitchell, 26, a pilot with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo, who was undergoing initial F-16 qualification training at Luke. The aircraft was a total loss at a cost of $21 million. The investigation also found strong evidence that the pilot’s failure to perform an effective muscle-tightening and breathing procedure to ensure sufficient blood flow to the brain during the maneuver caused the loss of consciousness.
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.