Special to WorldTribune.com
TEL AVIV ? The Israel Air Force has determined that the landing gear
of one of its F-16 multi-role fighter collapsed upon landing.
Military sources said the Air Force has concluded that the crash of its
F-16D stemmed from the collapse of a landing gear. They said the one of the
two gears broke as soon as the F-16 landed on a runway of the Ramat David
base on Jan. 2.
Israeli Air Force F-16D Fighting Falcon. /Aldo Bidini/Planespotters.net
?This is not the first time that the Air Force has experienced
difficulty with the landing gear of the F-16,? a source said. ?The Air Force is working with the manufacturer to address the problem.?
The two-man crew of the F-16 ejected and were not seriously injured. The aircraft was heavily damaged and could take years until it is returned to operations.
The Air Force has more than 120 F-16 C and D models, procured in the
1990s. Many of the aircraft were slated for an upgrade meant to enable the deployment of advanced munitions and avionics.
This marked at least the second failure of the F-16 landing gear. In
2005, an F-16D crashed at Ramat David and was heavily damaged. The fighter returned to service in 2012 after being rebuilt by the Air Force.
The sources said air force commander Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel has suspended
training flights of the F-16D in wake of the latest accident. They said the
Air Force would continue its investigation in cooperation with F-16
manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
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