Flameout at 13,000 feet
Pilot manages to land 'dead' F-16
June 29, 1996
Web posted at: 12:30 a.m. EDTANDREWS AFB, Maryland (CNN) -- Air Force officials marveled Friday at the prowess of an Air National Guard F-16 pilot who managed to land his single-engine fighter jet safely after losing all power at 13,000 feet over North Carolina.
2.8M QuickTime movieFor the U.S. military, plagued this year by crashes of helicopters and other types of aircraft, Capt. Chris Rose's happy ending was especially welcome.
Rose, whose 113th Fighter Wing is based at Andrews AFB, was on a practice bombing mission in Dare County, North Carolina. It had been a routine flight -- until he turned for home.
As he climbed through 13,000 feet, Rose said, "The first thing I heard -- more felt than heard -- was three loud bumps in the airplane, obviously behind me. Most of the airplane is. And immediately following that, severe vibrations."
After that, he was on his own muscle power and the plane's remaining hydraulic pressure. His remarkable flight and landing recorded on the plane's heads-up display camera.
While pilots are trained in this emergency landing procedure, it is considered very difficult, somewhat akin to driving a race car at high speed with no power steering and no brakes.
As Rose headed for an airfield at Elizabeth City, North Carolina, his wingman talked him through the glide and approach. He told him when to drop his fuel tanks, told him his landing gear was safely down, and warned controllers at the airport that he was on his way.
He landed without a hitch.
"I was pretty proud of it, yeah," he said. "I was able to stop the airplane on the runway, had about 1,500 feet to spare, and the plane's in fine shape, I didn't scratch it or burn anything up." The runway's length is 7,129 feet.
The F-16, with its small wings and single engine, is jokingly refereed to in top-gun circles as "the lawn dart" because of its natural tendency to go nose-first into the ground if the engine fails.
No one would have questioned the pilot's decision had he decided to eject from the $20 million aircraft, but instead he decided to attempt the emergency landing. That also reduced the risk the plane would cause injuries on the ground.
"He was as good as his name," said one Air Force official. "He came out smelling like a Rose."
Air Force Chief of Staff Ronald Fogleman, a fighter pilot himself, added his praise in an Air Force release. "Capt. Rose's outstanding airmanship skills and calm demeanor saved a $20 million aircraft and perhaps many lives. He exemplifies the caliber of professionals who serve in today's Air Guard and active duty force," he said.
Despite his more than 900 hours accumulated in more than four years of flying the F-16, including a tour of duty in the Middle East, this was Rose's first emergency.
Correspondent Carl Rochelle and Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.Related stories:
- F-18 test plane crashes near East St. Louis - June 19, 1996
- Pilot error, poor equipment blamed for Brown plane crash- June 7, 1996
- Marine helicopters collide at Camp Lejeune; 14 dead- May 10, 1996
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