An F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed off the southwestern coast of South Korea last December after a key instrument for measuring the jet’s position related to the horizon failed. The F-16, whose pilot was assigned to the 35th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, crashed during a training flight on the morning of Dec. 11, 2023, causing the loss of the $28 million fighter. The pilot safely ejected from the jet before the crash, sustaining no injuries, and was rescued by South Korean maritime forces.
The pilot was flying in formation along with three other F-16s as part of a defensive counter-air training mission when the jet’s attitude indicator stopped working due to the failure of its GPS inertial navigation system. The backup attitude indicator was also glitching, disorienting the pilot who became overloaded with information trying to keep the jet under control. As the pilot reached 3,000 feet above sea level, he tried to level off, but his disorientation worsened, prompting him to eject before reaching the water.
Little wreckage from the F-16 has been recovered, with the black box and GPS unit not found. Investigators couldn’t determine why the GPS unit malfunctioned but cited it as the primary cause of the crash. The Air Force is working to limit the effects of power fluctuations on F-16 flight instruments and increasing training to help pilots handle flight instrument problems during emergencies.
