Two killed in mid-air US plane crash

[webfact]

2 killed in US when F-16, small plane crash; jet pilot safe
SUSANNE M. SCHAFER, Associated Press

MONCKS CORNER, South Carolina (AP) — An F-16 fighter jet smashed into a small plane over the southern state of South Carolina on Tuesday, killing two people and raining down plane parts and debris over a wide swath of marshes and rice fields.

Two people were aboard the smaller Cessna, which was completely destroyed, and both died, National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said. The pilot of the F-16 ejected and "is apparently uninjured," he said. Lt. Jenny Hyden, a spokeswoman for Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina, said the pilot was taken to the base for observation.

There are not yet any details on what caused the collision or where the planes were traveling, though the NTSB is investigating.

Debris was scattered across a wide area, though there were no reports of anyone being hurt or any homes being damaged on the ground, Berkeley County spokesman Michael Mule said.

There are homes in the area about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Charleston, though it is not densely populated, Mule said.

A witness reported that the military plane broadsided the Cessna, said Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury. Officials said during a news conference that most of the debris was in a marshy area, including a rice field.

Wayne Ware told The Post and Courier of Charleston he was going for a walk when he heard the crash happen. He did not see the initial impact, but heard it.

"I turned around, and I saw the jet. Pieces started falling out of the sky," Ware said, telling the paper the jet's engine landed at a campground.

The Air Force has flown F-16s since the 1970s, though very few active-duty squadrons still fly them. F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) east of Columbia, routinely fly training missions over eastern South Carolina and the Atlantic.

The smaller plane was a Cessna 150, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, a two-seat plane that debuted in 1959 and remains one of the most common single-engine planes in the U.S.
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Associated Press writer Jack Jones in Columbia contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-08

[HappyinNE]

A mid air spoils your whole day!

[Jonmarleesco]

The F16 pilot ejected, seemingly uninjured. Before his jet broadsided the Cessna, then.

[chiang mai]

Rice paddies, near Charleston, really?

[Pinot]

It's Obama's fault.

[BigSkip]

Last time I checked, Jenny is a girls name.................

"The F16 pilot ejected, seemingly uninjured. Before his jet broadsided the Cessna, then"

[Varangkul]

Last time I checked, Jenny is a girls name.................

"The F16 pilot ejected, seemingly uninjured. Before his jet broadsided the Cessna, then"

Think before you ink! That was always my motto! In your case it might be "read before you feed" "Jenny" was the spokeswoman!

[rapom]

Last time I checked, Jenny is a girls name.................

"The F16 pilot ejected, seemingly uninjured. Before his jet broadsided the Cessna, then"

Here is where reading comprehension would answered your post.

[Tywais]

Rice paddies, near Charleston, really?

Carolina has a very long history of rice production and rice plantations as far back as the late 1600's.

[mutha289]

The F16 pilot ejected, seemingly uninjured. Before his jet broadsided the Cessna, then.

Not exactly sure how you figure the pilot ejected prior to the collision, I don't see that statement in the article and having flown fighters I can't recall any case of a pilot ejecting prior to a midair collision. Although the article states that the Cessna was broadsided it doesn't say what part of the F-16 impacted the Cessna, I suspect it wasn't a direct nose on collision by the F-16. Regardless it's a sad day for all involved.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/07/07/military-jet-collides-with-cessna-over-south-carolina/

[Jay Sata]

This accident demonstrates why ADS-B should be mandatory in all light aircraft.

I wonder if this aircraft even had a transponder?

The other problem is around 50% of GA pilots never switch them on.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Jay Sata