On April 8, an F-16 fighter jet from Hill Air Force Base opened fire on a rented SUV carrying two Army soldiers who had been training to identify enemy targets and direct U.S. aircraft to fire on them.
The pilot, who was participating in a separate air-to-ground training exercise in which pilots practice shooting at ground targets, momentarily lost visual reference with the intended target — a mock armored personnel carrier.
“The pilot then attempted to re-acquire visual reference with the target, but misidentified the intended target,” said 1st Lt. Beth Woodward, chief public affairs officer for the 388th Fighter Wing, adding that the pilot was using night goggles. “This resulting misidentification led to firing upon the SUV parked approximately 1.5 miles from the intended target.”
Woodward said the SUV was on a ridge near the Hornet Tower Observation Point, a location where ground units can safely observe the live targeting area while directing pilots to the targets.
“The investigation team found it most likely that at some point in the pilot’s turn — which began at a lower altitude than the pilot planned — after looking inside the cockpit to check his flight parameters, he mistook the set of lights at the Hornet Tower Observation Point as the laser mark provided by his wingman,” Woodward said. “In the end, he was trying to make the strafing pass work, and most likely was concentrating on his flight parameters more than the target area itself.”
Five 20mm high explosive incendiary rounds from the pilot’s F-16 struck the left side of the SUV — one of those rounds hitting approximately one foot behind the driver’s door, Woodward said. Luckily, the soldiers inside — part of a Joint Terminal Attack Control unit from Fort Lewis, Wash. — were able to escape the vehicle with only minor injuries.
They were transported by ambulance to Mountain West Medical Center 15 minutes after the incident and released shortly thereafter.
“Fortunately, the soldiers were able to immediately return to duty at Fort Lewis,” Woodward said.
The pilot, an experienced F-16 lead in the 34th Fighter Squadron, held over 800 flying hours in the F-16 at the time of the mishap.
“He was current and qualified to fly the mission,” Woodward said.
The pilot was grounded until the conclusion of the investigation, but has since been given clearance to take to the air again, following additional classroom, simulator and flight training.
“Close air support, the bulk of our operations in combat, is a complex mission in a complex environment,” said Col. Scott Dennis, 388th Fighter Wing commander, in a prepared statement. “From this incident, our pilots and the ground units we host on the UTTR have taken away valuable lessons on the importance of close communication and coordination. We have since implemented several changes to our tactics and procedures in order to prevent another occurrence. We are fully committed to keeping the range a safe place to practice the skill sets needed to bring airpower to the enemy.”
The pilot is still working on moving back into his lead position. For the time being, Woodward said, he is flying as a wingman, meaning the pilot flies his own aircraft but in formation with another pilot who leads the mission.
“The pilot is currently taking steps to re-quality in employing all the munitions the F-16 carries,” Woodward said.
Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com
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