F-16

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buddah2

Member
As some or many may have read an F-16 Falcon from the WI Nat'l Guard crashed in the U.P. last evening. Turns out the crash site
is only 3 to 6 miles from us. I was listening to TV with my TV-ears on around 8:30 last night and my wife got my attention. Now I can't
hear anything with those ears on except the TV. Wife claimed to hear planes fly over several times which is extremely rare for us. By the
time I removed my ears I never heard anything so wrote it off.

Fast forward to this morning. Being somewhat warmer this AM, as in above freezing, a couple (3) of us went to coffee at the local store
and of course the discussion of the plane crash came up. After finding out just how close it was I took a ride over that way but turns out
state troopers have all the roads near the site shut down in both directions. Talking with the trooper at the north end of the road he
said the road was closed because of the planes "cargo"...his way of saying ordinance..after that I lost all interest in getting any closer.
A close friend lives maybe a mile or so from the expected site. I haven't been able to get him on the phone to find out more.
 
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buddah2

Member
I finally got a hold of my buddy that lives over that way...turns out the plane crashed less than a mile from his house...he and his wife
obviously heard it but thought it was just a sonic boom...once they heard all the search activity in the area he jumped in his truck
and tried to investigate but troopers sent him back home because of worries about "radiation"...now correct me if I'm wrong but the
F-16 is primarily an air combat vehicle and shouldn't be carrying anything "nuclear" especially on a domestic training flight
 
jd

jd

Administrator
Staff member
Yea, this does not give me a good feeling either. $100+ million aircraft and the pilot would not have sat phone or other form of communication that does not rely on cell service? I'm thinking no, he just is not able to use his form of comm.

Or, since it's military they are keeping all news close to their chest.

Hope and pray the pilot is OK.
 
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united

Active member
Maybe broken radar, targeting, radar jamming equipment. etc. Or maybe a damaged anti radiation missile they didn't want him to set it off somehow by emitting a radio signal. Over the years they probably found radiation is the excuse most likely to quickly get people out of the area. Doubt it was nuclear if it was F-16. Hope they find pilot and ok.

But then again here is this https://www.airforce-technology.com...ucts-flight-test-on-b61-nuclear-bomb-5788282/


buddah2 said:
and tried to investigate but troopers sent him back home because of worries about "radiation"...now correct me if I'm wrong but the
F-16 is primarily an air combat vehicle and shouldn't be carrying anything "nuclear" especially on a domestic training flight
Click to expand...
 
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buddah2

Member
Given we're at 21 hrs or so I'm thinking pilot is a no...that area is slightly rough but certainly not rugged...the snowmobile trail runs
right down the road that the crash is supposedly on or immediately adjacent to...if he was able to move at all he would have wandered onto
some road by now...it's only maybe a mile in 3 different directions to fairly heavily traveled roads...unfortunately my thoughts are they're
holding off pending notification...

Edit: the suspected ejection site is some 5 or so miles south and east from the crash site which would put it in a slightly less
inhospitable area
 
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snocrazy

Active member
Yeah pretty crazy. Communications dead zone.... so many agencies involved. 5000 foot perimeter from crash site. 5 mile search area in dense swamps and forest.
Plane had ordinance on board. EOD cleared scene today as well as military police guarding as they gather all of the secret little tidbits.
Search for the pilot was very confusing. Just general area provided by military. Then today in afternoon they say have have an active beacon for pilot. Dog teams searched the area and nothing. Seems it was determined he did not make it out and was discovered at crash site. Not official by any means.... All hush hush on the radios. But the search teams were all called back to IC after first entry in to crash site.
 
harski

harski

Member
This hits close to home here in Madison and the surrounding communities including my hometown of Waunakee. We have many members of this Fighter Wing group along with the other divisions that reside here. My youngest daughter has a classmate who's father is one of the pilot's with this division that I can't stop wondering about. I hope whoever this pilot is that they are okay and just needing to be located. Sad to think about.....
 
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buddah2

Member
My guess is they would be in recovery mode now...if they didn't locate him today they're not going to...it was gorgeous in the central U.P.
for a Dec day...mid 40s and sunny...I was working outside some this afternoon and still heard jets in the area
 
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bee1971

Member
I have worked and fueled these same F16s for many years out of GRB
Mostly for Packer flyovers even though they came out of Madison

Anyways when my wife heard the news this morning , she dragged my *** up to her Moms house in Garden/Cooks area just west of Manistique

Her mom is hibernating in Arizona

Like mentioned was just a beautiful day for December - I can’t remember not seeing any snow banks the whole ride up this late in December or early depending what way you look at it

Was very strange honestly

We also heard Jets pretty much the whole time we where up there

God Bless the pilot and my prayers are with you - Kept checking my phone hoping he was found at some point
 
M

Mooseflyer

Member
buddah2 said:
troopers sent him back home because of worries about "radiation"...now correct me if I'm wrong but the
F-16 is primarily an air combat vehicle and shouldn't be carrying anything "nuclear" especially on a domestic training flight
Click to expand...

The hazard described by authorities is likely hydrazine.

"Hydrazine is a highly toxic and inflammable chemical that can be mistaken for water but smells more or less like ammonia. Depending on the duration of the exposure, H-70 vapors can be extremely dangerous for the human health. According to the U.S. Air Force, “vapors can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract. Short term exposure may cause tremors, while prolonged exposure may cause damage to the liver and kidneys, possibly convulsions or death.”
 
pclark

pclark

Well-known member
Was on ABC National News Wednesday evening. Just mentioned very quickly that an F-16 had gone down in a very remote part of Michigan. No more, no less.......
 
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