Crash Blamed on Pilot Losing Track of...
Crash Blamed on Pilot Losing Track of Altitude
The fatal crash of an F-16B fighter jet in July occurred when the pilot lost track of his altitude over the China Lake Weapons Station, according to an Air Force report released Monday.
The pilot, Maj. Aaron George, was killed along with a civilian passenger, Judson Brohmer, on board to videotape the July 17 test flight.
The jet belonged to the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base.
During the test flight, George was following an experimental decoy designed to confuse enemy missile-defense systems, the Air Force report said.
When the decoy lost altitude after its engine failed, George continued to chase it, putting the jet into a dive at 3,500 feet, according to the report.
The $15-million jet crashed in the China Lake station’s Echo Range.
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