Aircraft

A video clip has surfaced in the past few days purporting to show the final moments of a US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter after being hit by a bird (encircled in the screen shot pictured below).

The aircraft suffers an engine failure as a result of the avian ingestion and the two pilots, one of whom appears to be a student, eject moments before the aircraft hits a ploughed field. The drama unfolds through the eyes of the pilots, with the head-up display showing air speed and warnings. The length of the video clip is 45s, from bird strike to ejection. Both pilots are thought to have survived the crash.

However, Flight International has been unable to establish the date or location of the incident and we would be grateful for any information on the clip. Please email us with any leads.

To view the video: click here for the Windows Media Video file of the F-16 birdstrike
or download in Apple QuickTime format to view the F-16 birdstrike video clip on your iPod