F-16, Cessna Collide in Midair
Nov. 16 -- An F-16 military jet collided in midair with a small civilian plane today near Sarasota, Fla., and crashed in flames in a wooded area, killing at least one person.
The pilot of the military jet ejected and parachuted safely intoa nearby golf course at around 4 p.m., said Larry Leinhauser, spokesman for theManatee County Department of Public Safety. A man aboard the Cessna was killed in the collision. His identitywas being withheld while authorities attempted to notify hisrelatives, said Manatee County Sheriff spokesman Dave Bristow. It was unclear if anyone else was on the plane. The F-16 pilot, an active duty Air Force captain whose name wasnot released, landed then walked to someone’s home to use a phone.
“He’s very, very shaken up, obviously,” Bristow said. “He’sfine. He doesn’t have any scratches.” To avoid nearby homes, the F-16 pilot deliberately guided theplane to a swampy area behind a Home Depot that’s underconstruction, said Braden River district fire chief HenrySheffield.
The smaller plane, a two-person Cessna 172, was destroyed, Leinhauser said. Parts of the Cessna landed on the golf course and a wing crashed through the roof of a house, but no one was injured, authorities said.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Department joined an emergency response effort an employee described as “massive.”
“It’s a big deal,” said Cynthia Turner of the sheriff’s department public relations office. “We’re responding en masse.”
Crash Investigation Underway An entire green on the fairway was surrounded by yellow crimescene tape and pieces of plane instruments were lying at the basesof several trees. Air Force Capt. Darren Berry said the Air Force is investigatingthe crash in conjunction with the National Transportation SafetyBoard.
The Air Force said the F-16 was from Moody Air Force Base inValdosta, Ga., but was on a training mission that originated fromFlorida’s MacDill Air Force Base, about 20 miles north of the scene of the accident.
Related Stories
ABC News Live