An Air Combat Command accident investigation into the April 5, 2006 crash of an F-16CJ Viper from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, S.C., finds that the pilot was suffering from physical fatigue generated by flying five high-g sorties in three days and from mental stress due to his upgrade training. Those two conditions engendered gravity-induced loss of consciousness (GLOC). Upon recovering from GLOC, the pilot found his aircraft in an unrecoverable dive, according to an ACC statement. The pilot, Capt. Ted Schultz, ejected, suffering “serious injuries during the high-speed ejection,” and the fighter crashed into the ocean. (We reported earlier that the injuries included two broken legs.)
Skyborg Makes First Flight Aboard Kratos Mako
May 5, 2021
The "Skyborg" software and hardware suite allowing an unmanned aircraft to team with crewed ones flew for the first time on April 29, the Air Force said, launching a series of experiments meant to prove out the safety and effectiveness of the approach.