Registration 96-0085 Survivors 1 (all) Passenger count 1 | Flight origin Shaw AFB Date 7 July 2015 Total fatalities 2 (all) Crew count 1 | |
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Type General Dynamics F-16C Block 50 Fighting Falcon Similar 2015 Eglin Air Force Base heli, 2015 Juba An‑12 crash, Turkish Airlines Flight 1878, Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines Fl, Carson Air Flight 66 | ||
On July 7, 2015, a General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon operated by the United States Air Force collided in-flight with a civilian Cessna 150M over Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States. Both occupants of the Cessna were killed; the pilot of the F-16 ejected safely.
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Accident
The F-16 was a United States Air Force General Dynamics F-16C Block 50 Fighting Falcon, serial number 96-0085. It was based at Shaw Air Force Base, and it was operated by the 20th Fighter Wing. The Cessna was a Cessna 150M, registration N3601V.
At about 11:00 AM on July 7, 2015, the F-16 and Cessna 150 collided over Moncks Corner, South Carolina, about 30 miles (48 km) north of Charleston. Witnesses state that the Cessna was climbing when the F-16 hit it broadside. The aircraft were at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 feet. Air Traffic Control at Myrtle Beach International Airport had advised the F-16 of the Cessna. The F-16 flew for a further three minutes before the pilot transmitted a mayday call. He then ejected safely. Both aircraft crashed in Lewisfield Plantation. Both occupants of the Cessna 150 were killed. The body of the passenger has been located, but not that of the pilot/owner. The pilot of the F-16 was on an instrument training mission. Its destination was Joint Base Charleston. The Cessna was reported to be on a flight from Berkeley County Airport to Myrtle Beach.
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation into the accident. A preliminary report was published on July 18. The cause of the accident was found to be Air Traffic Control errors in failing to provide an appropriate conflict resolution between the two aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration also opened an investigation.