2015 Moncks Corner mid-air collision

Accident in South Carolina, United States 2015 Moncks Corner mid-air collision Moncks Corner mid-air collision wreckage.jpg The aft fuselage of the Cessna (top) and the main wreckage of the F-16 (bottom) Accident 2015 07 07 Mid-air collision, due to air traffic control error Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States 33.196 -80.010 type:event:earth_region:US-SC inline,title 2 1 55th Fighter Sqn F-16C Fighting Falcon 96-0085 - Aug 2003.jpg 96-0085, the F-16 involved in the collision, photographed in 2003 General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon US 96-0085 Shaw AFB, South Carolina, US Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, US 1 1 0 1 Cessna 150M AN0931537.jpg A Cessna 150M similar to the aircraft involved Cessna 150M N3601V Berkeley County Airport, South Carolina, US Myrtle Beach International Airport, South Carolina, US 2 1 1 2 0 On July 7, 2015, an F-16 fighter jet operated by the United States Air Force collided in-flight with a private Cessna 150 single-engine light aircraft over Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States. Both occupants of the Cessna were killed; the pilot of the F-16 ejected safely. The subsequent investigation found that the local air traffic control unit had failed to ensure adequate separation between the two aircraft. Collision At about 11:00 AM on July 7, 2015, the F-16 and Cessna 150 collided over Moncks Corner, South Carolina, about 30 mi km north of Charleston. Witnesses state that the Cessna was climbing when the F-16 hit it broadside.https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/07/f16-crash-south-carolina/29815069/ 2 killed after F-16, Cessna collide over S.C. Tyler Pager USA Today July 7, 2015 April 10, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190410203040/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/07/f16-crash-south-carolina/29815069/ live The Cessna (N3601V) was climbing out of the Berkeley County Airport under visual flight rules and was not in communication with FAA air traffic control. The F-16 was on an ATC-assigned heading of 260 degrees and issued a descent to maintain 1,600 feet for an ILS approach to runway 15 at Joint Base Charleston (CHS). At 11:00:16, the CHS approach controller advised the F-16 pilot of "traffic 12 o'clock, 2 miles, opposite direction, 1,200 [feet altitude] indicated, type unknown." At 11:00:24, the F-16 pilot responded that he was "looking" for the traffic. At 11:00:26, the controller advised the F-16 pilot to "turn left heading 180 if you don't have that traffic in sight." At 11:00:30, the pilot asked, "Confirm 2 miles?" At 11:00:33, the controller stated, "If you don't have that traffic in sight turn left heading 180 immediately." Over the next 18 seconds, the radar-derived ground track of the F-16 began turning southerly toward the designated heading. At 11:00:49, the radar target of the F-16 was 1/2 nmi mi km 0 northeast of the Cessna, at an altitude of 1,500 ft m 0, and was on an approximate track of 215 degrees. At that time, the Cessna reported an altitude of 1,400 ft m 0 and was established on an approximate ground track of 110 degrees. The two aircraft collided at an approximate altitude of 1,450 ft m 0.https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20150707X22207&ntsbno=ERA15MA259A&akey=1 NTSB Report 2018-10-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035646/https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20150707X22207&ntsbno=ERA15MA259A&akey=1 live The F-16 flew for a further three minutes before the pilot transmitted a mayday call. He then ejected safely.http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Two-Dead-In-F-16-Cessna-Collision-224398-1.html Two Dead In F-16-Cessna Collision AVweb 7 July 2015 July 8, 2015 9 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150709001829/http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Two-Dead-In-F-16-Cessna-Collision-224398-1.html live Both aircraft crashed in Lewisfield Plantation. Both occupants of the Cessna 150 were killed.http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/29491579/f-16-cessna-crash-in-sc-after-midair-collision NTSB: 2 killed aboard Cessna in midair collision with F-16 Suzelle Santos Patrick Phillips Tucson News Now July 7, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150709091218/http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/29491579/f-16-cessna-crash-in-sc-after-midair-collision July 9, 2015 dead mdy-all http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cessna-150-f-16-collision-body-of-passenger-found-as-search-for-pilot-continues-1.3143521 Cessna 150, F-16 collision: Body of passenger found as search for pilot continues July 8, 2015 CBC News July 8, 2015 August 31, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240831182001/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cessna-150-f-16-collision-body-of-passenger-found-as-search-for-pilot-continues-1.3143521 livehttp://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=3601V FAA Registry – Aircraft – N-Number Inquiry Federal Aviation Administration July 8, 2015 July 9, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150709172413/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=3601V dead 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. Aircraft The first aircraft was a General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon registered 96-0085.http://www.f-16.net/f-16-news-article4965.html F-16 collides with Cessna over South Carolina f-16.net July 8, 2015 February 28, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190228000542/http://www.f-16.net/f-16-news-article4965.html livehttp://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/4409/ Airframe Details for F-16 #96-0085 f-16.net July 10, 2015 October 24, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035411/http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/4409/ live It was based at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and was operated by the 20th Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force.http://www.abcnews4.com/story/29491593/plane-crash-reported-in-moncks-corner F-16, Cessna collide over Berkeley County plantation ABC News 7 July 2015 July 7, 2015 8 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151108092950/http://www.abcnews4.com/story/29491593/plane-crash-reported-in-moncks-corner live https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/south-carolina-aircraft-incident/ F-16 jet, Cessna airplane collide over South Carolina Greg Botelho Shawn Nottingham 7 July 2015 CNN July 7, 2015 24 October 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073905/https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/south-carolina-aircraft-incident/ live The second aircraft involved was a privately owned Cessna 150M registered N3601V.Aircraft Registration (N3601V) https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N3601V Flight Aware July 8, 2015 October 24, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035345/https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N3601V livehttp://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:96:::::P96_ENTRY_DATE,P96_FATAL_FLG:08-JUL-15,YES FAA Accident and Incident Notification(s): Notice(s) Created 08-JUL-15 Federal Aviation Administration July 8, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150709160436/http://www.asias.faa.gov/pls/apex/f?p=100:96:::::P96_ENTRY_DATE,P96_FATAL_FLG:08-JUL-15,YES 2015-07-09 dead Investigation The National Transportation Safety Board conducted the investigation into the accident.https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20150707X22207&key=1&queryId=9fe64f04-a22b-4e4e-a509-b021bbcf042d NTSB Identification: ERA15FA259A National Transportation Safety Board July 18, 2015 July 19, 2015 October 24, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073625/https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20150707X22207&key=1&queryId=9fe64f04-a22b-4e4e-a509-b021bbcf042d live http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article26651950.html Shaw Air Force Base F-16 pilot taken to Joint Base Charleston The State July 7, 2015 July 9, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150709031314/http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article26651950.html live The cause of the collision was found to be air traffic control errors in failing to provide an appropriate conflict resolution between the two aircraft.https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/ASR1606.pdf Educating Controllers on Two Midair Collisions National Transportation Safety Board 14 November 2016 19 November 2016 19 November 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161119054957/https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/ASR1606.pdf live The Federal Aviation Administration also opened an investigation. References Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 2015 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in South Carolina Category:Mid-air collisions involving general aviation aircraft Category:Mid-air collisions involving military aircraft Category:Mid-air collisions in the United States Category:Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Category:2015 in South Carolina Category:July 2015 in the United States Category:Berkeley County, South Carolina