F-16 Jet, Cessna Airplane Collide Over South Carolina

[Purveyor]

Source: CNN

(CNN)An Air Force F-16 fighter jet and a small private airplane collided Tuesday over South Carolina, prompting the military pilot to eject and scattering debris from the other aircraft, authorities said.

Someone called 911 shortly after 11 a.m. to report the collision about 30 miles north of Charleston near Lewisfield Planation in Berkeley County, county spokesman Michael Mule said. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters indicated the aircraft hit each other a little farther south, about 11 miles from Charleston.

The fate of those on the small aircraft, which the FAA identified as a Cessna 150, was not immediately known, though authorities did note it broke up considerably after the collision. No one on the ground was hurt by falling debris, which Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said fell largely in "a remote, marshy area."

"We are in investigative mode trying to find out who that plane belonged to and who was on board," Berkeley County Rescue Squad Chief Bill Salisbury told reporters. "... We have debris of the small plane scattered over a large area, and part of it is in a rice field."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/south-carolina-aircraft-incident/

[cosmicone]

1. Was it a Yankee F-16

and a Cessna with a confederate flag on its fuselage?

[misterhighwasted]

2. wait for it....

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

3. Crap. I hope the people are OK, but probably not...

[TheBlackAdder]

4. It's always the fighter jet's fault. A C-150 would have no chance.

Regardless of the situation, it's always the fighter jet that is responsible for a collision with light aircraft, especially something slow and lumbering like a C-150, even if it's an Aerobat.

As a pilot since 1980, the ANG would routinely lock onto private aircraft to practice intercept runs. Their avionics know other aircraft in the vicinity and they receive feedback from military ATC radars and personnel.

The jet might have been flying up to 250 knots, at low altitude, versus around 110 or so in cruise for the C-150.


===

Sorry for all involved.

[bluevoter4life]

6. Not necessarily true

There are several MOA's and MTR's in that area. The C150 may have been flying in an area that was "hot" and therefore, not supposed to be in. We won't know anything until all the facts are known. I hope everyone is ok.

[irisblue]

9. so for non military what is MOA & MTR?

[FrodosPet]

10. Military operations area and Military training route

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_operations_area

A military operations area (MOA) is "airspace established outside Class A airspace to separate or segregate certain nonhazardous military activities from IFR Traffic and to identify for VFR traffic where these activities are conducted." (14 CFR §1.1, U.S.A.) Similar structures exist under international flight standards. These are designed for routine training or testing maneuvers. Areas near actual combat or other military emergencies are generally designated as restricted airspace. See Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR).

A MOA is a type of special use airspace (SUA), other than restricted airspace or prohibited airspace, where military operations are of a nature that justify limitations on aircraft not participating in those operations. The designation of SUA's identifies for other users the areas where military activity occurs, provides for segregation of that activity from other fliers, and allows charting to keep airspace users informed. Local flight service facilities maintain current schedules and contacts for the agency controlling each MOA.

MOA's are often positioned over isolated, rural areas to provide ground separation for any noise nuisance or potential accident debris. Each designated MOA appears on the relevant sectional charts, along with its normal hours of operation, lower and upper altitudes of operation, controlling authority contact, and using agency.

Whenever an MOA is active, nonparticipating IFR traffic may be cleared through the area provided ATC can ensure IFR separation; otherwise, ATC will reroute or restrict nonparticipating IFR traffic. Although MOA's do not restrict VFR operations, pilots operating under VFR should exercise extreme caution while flying within, near, or below an active MOA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_training_route

Military Training Routes are aerial corridors across the United States in which military aircraft can operate below 10,000 feet faster than the maximum safe speed of 250 knots that all other aircraft are restricted to while operating below 10,000 feet. The routes are the result of a joint venture between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense to provide for high-speed, low-level military activities.

[irisblue]

11. thank you. My airplane experience is "please put your table trays upright....)

[TheBlackAdder]

12. Again, it's always the fighter jet's fault.

A 99% chance a C-150 is flying VFR.

Per those links:

MOA: Whenever an MOA is active, nonparticipating IFR traffic may be cleared through the area provided ATC can ensure IFR separation; otherwise, ATC will reroute or restrict nonparticipating IFR traffic. Although MOA's do not restrict VFR operations, pilots operating under VFR should exercise extreme caution while flying within, near, or below an active MOA. Military pilots do, on occasion, underfly their prescribed MOA at lower altitudes without warning. Additionally, prior to entering an active MOA, pilots are encouraged to contact the controlling agency for traffic advisories due to the frequently changing status of these areas.

MTR: MTRs do not constitute an official airspace, and are all open to VFR or IFR civilian traffic; however only military aircraft are allowed to squawk 4000 and exceed 250 knots.


==

Note: Most MOAs relate to artillary shells being fired. And, just like MTRs, MOAs do not prohibit VFR traffic.

[bluevoter4life]

13. As ATC, I hesitate to say that it was controller error

I however, cannot objectively rule it out. Pilot error? Maybe. Mx issue? Who knows. I will wait for all the facts to emerge before I will say who is at fault. None of us were there in the cockpit or at the radar scope so none of us knows what really happened and to automatically jump to such a conclusion is irresponsible.

[calikid]

5. I once had a close call while flying a 150,

It was a Saber Jet that went whizzing buy in front of me at low altitude and high speed. We were outside of a MOA, and I don't know if the jet was military or private, none the less, it still gave me a heck of a rush!

[Plucketeer]

7. I was on an MD80

that was landing at Long Beach airport in the mid-80s. After the gear and flaps were down, I just happened to glance out my window and see a Cessna 182 fill my view! All I could do was gasp! We landed without incident and our pilot never said a thing. That Cessna was CLOSE - and headed right at our MD80's right side.

[bluevoter4life]

8. This is not at all unusual in Class D airspace

It is what is known as "see and be seen". The tower probably informed the Cessna of your MD-80. If the Cessna reported your aircraft in sight, all he needs to do is maintain visual separation from you. This legally allows him to get as close as he is comfortable. For all I know, the pilot of the MD-80 also reported the Cessna in sight, which allows the same thing. We do this all day long at my tower.