The loss of crew situational awareness ultimately caused a Royal Air Force Puma Mk2 to crash in Kabul in October 2015, killing five on board, including two USAF airmen. The transport helicopter was landing at the headquarters of NATO’s training and support mission at the time of the crash. The UK Military Aviation Authority found that the pilots and rear crew fixated on ground features, and did not see an aerostat, according to a report in IHS Jane’s.The Puma hit the aerostat’s tether, causing the crash. The crash killed Maj. Phyllis J. Pelky, of Rio Rancho, N.M., and MSgt. Gregory T. Kuhse, of Kalamazoo, Mich., along with two Royal Air Force officers and a French contractor.
Thunderbird F-16 Crashes in California, Pilot OK
Dec. 3, 2025
An Air Force F-16 Thunderbird crashed Dec. 3 near Death Valley, Calif., with the pilot ejecting safely. In a statement, the Thunderbirds—officially the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron—said the incident occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time “during a training mission over controlled airspace in California.”
