5-02-2024 9:51am

Holloman 49th Wing Commander Spotlights Help and Hero's from F-16 Crash

Chris Edwards Editor

On the afternoon of April 30, 2024, personnel and citizens of Alamogordo and Holloman Air Force Base were concerned to learn of a crash of an F-16 near White Sands National Park.

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 49th Wing crashed west of Holloman Air Force base. The sole pilot on board successfully ejected and was transported by ambulance for medical care. The crash happened at about 11:50 a.m. Tuesday, Holloman officials said.

Later that evening, officials said in a release that the pilot was in good condition and had been released from a local hospital.

The wing commander, Col. Justin Spears, thanked a long list of agencies including local and state police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and a U.S. Army Air Flight Detachment for helping out.

“They were vital in the response efforts,” he said in a statement. “On days like today, we are incredibly proud to be part of this amazing community.”

Since the incident more information has emerged concerning the crash and the pilot rescue.

Holloman Air Force Base of course is a major training hub for U.S. Air Force pilots but in addition the tower and runways are utilized as an integral part of test operations by an Army Air Flight Detachment which operates six UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and a C-12 King Air twin turboprop aircraft to support on- and off-range test customers. The fleet is used to search and recover critical test components. The UH-60s and the C-12 can be modified with various instrument packages, sensors and payloads to support test missions. All of the White Sands Missile Range aircraft can be used as photo/chase platforms. Army Air Flight Detachment helicopters are also capable of external load operations. This unit is seldom in the news and few are even aware that it utilizes the platform of the Holloman Air field as the base of its operations.

This operating team was a key player in ensuring the safety and rescue of the pilot that was ejected from the F-16 crash on Tuesday. Sources tell AlamogordoTownNews.com that a Blackhawk was in the air and saw smoke and asked for clearance to assist after the crash. According to a source the Blackhawk flight just happened to have a "Doc on Board" and as such it was best suited for a pilot rescue in the event of an injury of the ejected pilot. The Blackhawk quickly located the ejected pilot from the crash, picked the pilot up and flew him quickly to the clinic at Holloman Air Force base for treatment of any injuries. From there the pilot was sent to the hospital for more in-depth testing and treatment and was released Tuesday evening.

The 49th Wing Commander has been on a mission to recognize those that ensured the safety of the pilot that was ejected from the fallen F-16 fighter and thank those that had an impact on keeping him safe.

Pictured below is a release from the 49th Wing Commander on Social Media thanking the Army Air Flight Detachment for the role they played in ensuring the pilot was safe.

The Wing Commander has been making the rounds thanking those that contributed to his pilots safety to include the Air Force personnel in the air tower that directed airfield rescue efforts…

The commander also thanked the egress shop for their daily efforts to ensure the ejection seat and the top are fully functioning in cases such as the crash on Tuesday

and finally very important to the safety of the pilot was the gentleman named Phil Westfall that made sure the pilot’s parachute was packed properly and operation was recognized by Wing Commander Col. Justin Spears…

An F-16 like any fighter aircraft is a complicated instrument. It truly takes a village to ensure the safety or the pilots flying these aircraft that are critical to our nations air defense capabilities.

Congratulations to the partnership of each of these individuals involved to ensure the safety of this pilot, and every day, of the pilots on the many missions underway daily at Holloman.