F-16CM pilot flips switches, ejects and crashes $27 million fighter jet

Earlier this year, an F-16CM fighter jet of the U.S. Air Force crashed due to pilot error.

Here's What We Know

The incident happened on March 23 during a training flight in Louisiana. The Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report states that the accident occurred because the pilot of the aircraft mixed up the switches and misjudged the situation.

The pilot of the 138th Fighter Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard was able to eject and suffered minor injuries. The nearly $27 million plane was destroyed when it hit the ground.

During an aerial refueling mission, the pilot was tasked to make an unscheduled intercept of a general aviation aircraft and retrieve the flight number. After successfully identifying the sixth (last) digit, the F-16CM began gaining altitude and moving away from its target.

Being in close proximity to another aircraft, the pilot should have retracted his flaps, but pressed a nearby switch that looked identical. The F-16CM then shuddered, which was the normal reaction of the aircraft.

However, the pilot thought he had pressed the correct switch, so he assumed that the fighter began to go into uncontrolled flight. As a result of his misjudgment, he made the decision to eject, causing the plane to crash and crash.

Source: Defense Brief