2 Shaw F-16s collide off Charleston - Aircraft of World War II

beaupower32 · 10-16-2009, 10:05 AM

October 15, 2009 Two F-16s from the 20th Fighter Wing based at Shaw Air Force Bases have collided in mid-air somewhere over the Atlantic at 20.30h local time. One jet & its pilot are reported to be missing.

Both F-16s were on a night training exercise at the time. According to officials one of the pilots (Capt. Lee Bryant) was able to bring his damaged F-16 back to Charleston Air Force Base and was seen by medical teams before being discharged. The whereabouts of the other pilot (Capt. Nicholas Giglio) is unknown.

The crash happened "40 miles east of Folly Beach," said Rob Sexton, the chief of public affairs at Shaw.

Units from the US Coast Guard, US Navy and aircraft based out of Charleston Air Force Base are all participating in the search for the missing pilot. The searching area being covered is 10 nautical miles off Bulls Bay.

Earlier this week, Shaw Air Force Base had announced that pilots would be conducting nighttime exercises to get pilots proficient with night vision equipment and practice tactics critical to surviving in combat

The airforce has set up a board of enquiry to investigate the accident

ccheese · 10-16-2009, 11:13 AM

Lets hope they find all the occupants alive and well...

Charles

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 10-16-2009, 11:43 AM

Damn lets hope for the best...

Vassili Zaitzev · 10-16-2009, 11:47 AM

Crap, I hope the other pilot bailed out, and is alright.

muller · 10-16-2009, 12:01 PM

Same thing happened in France a few weeks ago. Lets hope they find the guy.

ToughOmbre · 10-16-2009, 01:39 PM

Hoping for a positive outcome for that pilot and his family.

TO

beaupower32 · 10-16-2009, 02:52 PM

Still no update yet. Coast Guard said that the beacons that go off when a accident happen have not come on. They have on on the Ejection Seat and plane itself from what I was told. Accident happened 40 miles off the coast and Coast Guard expanded it to 1500 miles today so far. Even have people in personal boats helping out. Will update when I get more news.

vikingBerserker · 10-16-2009, 04:39 PM

That stinks, hope he's ok.

B-17engineer · 10-16-2009, 04:42 PM

I hope for the best

Thorlifter · 10-16-2009, 04:49 PM

I always hate to hear this. I'm hoping for the best.

Colin1 · 10-16-2009, 04:52 PM

I'm thinking worst-case
if the F-16 nosed straight in, under power, the TACBE might not operate at depth or would have insufficient power to make its presence/location known. I hope to God he punched out in time and they find him floating around in his dinghy.

Lucky13 · 10-16-2009, 05:11 PM

Hoping for the best!

RabidAlien · 10-16-2009, 10:51 PM

Prayin for his survival, recovery, and his family.

wheelsup_cavu · 10-17-2009, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muller

Same thing happened in France a few weeks ago. Lets hope they find the guy.

And alive this time.
I am hoping to hear some good news on this one.

Wheels

beaupower32 · 10-18-2009, 10:15 AM

Well guys, I hate to say but they have called off the search and the pilot is persumed dead.

to the wife and family. May god be with you.

Coast Guard and Air Force officials have called off the search for Air Force F-16 pilot Capt. Nicholas Giglio after determining that he likely died in a midair collision with another jet Thursday night.

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Michael McAllister, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Charleston, said late Saturday that rescuers collectively searched 170 hours over two days and covered 8,000 square miles. "We're confident that if Capt. Giglio had ejected safely from his aircraft we would have found him," McAllister said.

Giglio was a flier from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter. His plane went down Thursday evening during night training exercises off the South Carolina coast. Two fighters collided, but the second F-16, although damaged, was able to make it back to Charleston Air Force Base.

That jet was piloted by Capt. Lee Bryant, who was examined but suffered no injuries and was released.

McAllister said the Air Force thoroughly examined the sensors on Bryant's plane, as well as damage to that aircraft. "They concluded that the impact between the two aircraft was such that it's likely that (Giglio) was killed in the collision between the two aircraft," he said.

"It appears that the canopy of Giglio's airplane was severely damaged by one of the pods hanging below the other aircraft," McAllister said. "So the Air Force concluded it's very unlikely that the pilot survived the initial collision and, therefore, could not eject safely." The Coast Guard and Air Force have suspended the active search effort, he said, and are transitioning to the recovery phase.

After investigating for the past two days, "We're confident in the position where the aircraft went into the water," McAllister said.

The water there is 50 feet deep, he said. Recovery workers will continue looking for the plane in hopes that it will contain more clues about what happened to Giglio.

McAllister said he and Col. Joseph Guastella, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, of which Giglio was a part, told Giglio's family members about the search being called off.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Capt. Giglio's family and his fellow airmen at Shaw Air Force Base," McAllister said.

10-16-2009, 10:05 AM	#1
beaupower32 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Charleston, South Carolina Posts: 721	2 Shaw F-16s collide off Charleston October 15, 2009 Two F-16s from the 20th Fighter Wing based at Shaw Air Force Bases have collided in mid-air somewhere over the Atlantic at 20.30h local time. One jet & its pilot are reported to be missing. Both F-16s were on a night training exercise at the time. According to officials one of the pilots (Capt. Lee Bryant) was able to bring his damaged F-16 back to Charleston Air Force Base and was seen by medical teams before being discharged. The whereabouts of the other pilot (Capt. Nicholas Giglio) is unknown. The crash happened "40 miles east of Folly Beach," said Rob Sexton, the chief of public affairs at Shaw. Units from the US Coast Guard, US Navy and aircraft based out of Charleston Air Force Base are all participating in the search for the missing pilot. The searching area being covered is 10 nautical miles off Bulls Bay. Earlier this week, Shaw Air Force Base had announced that pilots would be conducting nighttime exercises to get pilots proficient with night vision equipment and practice tactics critical to surviving in combat The airforce has set up a board of enquiry to investigate the accident __________________ The four elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Of these, I call your attention to two: Air and Fire. Though it is your privilege to live in the air, you will die by fire.

10-16-2009, 11:13 AM	#2
ccheese Older Than Dirt Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia Posts: 7,309	Lets hope they find all the occupants alive and well... Charles __________________ I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either....

10-16-2009, 11:43 AM	#3
DerAdlerIstGelandet Der Crewchief Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany Posts: 33,152	Damn lets hope for the best... __________________ fly boy:"isnt that the first jet bomber becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles"[/I]

10-16-2009, 11:47 AM	#4
Vassili Zaitzev Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Stafford Springs, Connecticut Posts: 2,221	Crap, I hope the other pilot bailed out, and is alright. __________________ "Never was so much owed by so many to so few"- Winston Churchill.

10-16-2009, 12:01 PM	#5
muller Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The Emerald Isle Posts: 1,497	Same thing happened in France a few weeks ago. Lets hope they find the guy. __________________

10-16-2009, 01:39 PM	#6
ToughOmbre Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 3,233	Hoping for a positive outcome for that pilot and his family. TO __________________ *“Let's get Enterprise* and Hornet turned into the wind."**

10-16-2009, 02:52 PM	#7
beaupower32 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Charleston, South Carolina Posts: 721	Still no update yet. Coast Guard said that the beacons that go off when a accident happen have not come on. They have on on the Ejection Seat and plane itself from what I was told. Accident happened 40 miles off the coast and Coast Guard expanded it to 1500 miles today so far. Even have people in personal boats helping out. Will update when I get more news. __________________ The four elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Of these, I call your attention to two: Air and Fire. Though it is your privilege to live in the air, you will die by fire.

10-16-2009, 04:39 PM	#8
vikingBerserker Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,760	That stinks, hope he's ok. __________________ "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" "Those who dwell in the past, condemn the future"

10-16-2009, 04:42 PM	#9
B-17engineer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,685	I hope for the best __________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe36UMRkRbk

10-16-2009, 04:49 PM	#10
Thorlifter Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 4,346	I always hate to hear this. I'm hoping for the best. __________________

10-16-2009, 04:52 PM	#11
Colin1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,766	I'm thinking worst-case if the F-16 nosed straight in, under power, the TACBE might not operate at depth or would have insufficient power to make its presence/location known. I hope to God he punched out in time and they find him floating around in his dinghy.

10-16-2009, 05:11 PM	#12
Lucky13 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: A Swede living in Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 15,144	Hoping for the best! __________________ JAN "Felicis Tredecim" "I´m going back to the front to relax" "THE BLACK CATS FLIES TONIGHT" "Find your enemy and shoot him down - everything else is unimportant!" "When you're out of F-8's... You're out of fighters!"

10-16-2009, 10:51 PM	#13
RabidAlien Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hurst, Texas Posts: 2,825	Prayin for his survival, recovery, and his family. __________________ Pillage, then burn. Argue not with dragons, for thou art crunchy and go well on toast.

10-18-2009, 10:15 AM	#15
beaupower32 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Charleston, South Carolina Posts: 721	Well guys, I hate to say but they have called off the search and the pilot is persumed dead. to the wife and family. May god be with you. Coast Guard and Air Force officials have called off the search for Air Force F-16 pilot Capt. Nicholas Giglio after determining that he likely died in a midair collision with another jet Thursday night. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Michael McAllister, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Charleston, said late Saturday that rescuers collectively searched 170 hours over two days and covered 8,000 square miles. "We're confident that if Capt. Giglio had ejected safely from his aircraft we would have found him," McAllister said. Giglio was a flier from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter. His plane went down Thursday evening during night training exercises off the South Carolina coast. Two fighters collided, but the second F-16, although damaged, was able to make it back to Charleston Air Force Base. That jet was piloted by Capt. Lee Bryant, who was examined but suffered no injuries and was released. McAllister said the Air Force thoroughly examined the sensors on Bryant's plane, as well as damage to that aircraft. "They concluded that the impact between the two aircraft was such that it's likely that (Giglio) was killed in the collision between the two aircraft," he said. "It appears that the canopy of Giglio's airplane was severely damaged by one of the pods hanging below the other aircraft," McAllister said. "So the Air Force concluded it's very unlikely that the pilot survived the initial collision and, therefore, could not eject safely." The Coast Guard and Air Force have suspended the active search effort, he said, and are transitioning to the recovery phase. After investigating for the past two days, "We're confident in the position where the aircraft went into the water," McAllister said. The water there is 50 feet deep, he said. Recovery workers will continue looking for the plane in hopes that it will contain more clues about what happened to Giglio. McAllister said he and Col. Joseph Guastella, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, of which Giglio was a part, told Giglio's family members about the search being called off. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Capt. Giglio's family and his fellow airmen at Shaw Air Force Base," McAllister said. __________________ The four elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Of these, I call your attention to two: Air and Fire. Though it is your privilege to live in the air, you will die by fire.

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