New Jersey F-16 accident report released Published July 27, 2007 LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Air Force officials here July 26 determined that the cause of the forest fire on the Warren Grove Training Range in New Jersey May 15 was pilot error, committed when a F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot deployed countermeasure flares at an altitude that allowed the flares to land on the range while they were still burning. Maj. Gen. Emmett R. Titshaw, president of the Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board that was established to investigate the Air National Guard F-16 training mishap, released his findings at a press conference. The investigation team discovered that during a basic surface attack training mission, two F-16 pilots -- a lead pilot and a wingman pilot assigned to the 177th Fighter Wing from Atlantic City -- conducted an unscheduled "show of force" maneuver. A show of force is a maneuver typically involving a low-altitude, high-speed pass over an area of interest to demonstrate an airpower presence to an enemy force. While executing the show-of-force maneuver, the wingman pilot deployed multiple countermeasure flares below the Warren Grove Training Range minimum release altitude of 500 feet. At the time of the flare release, the pilot was unaware the environmental conditions on the range prohibited the use of flares on the range. The use of countermeasure flares during the training mission that day was also not briefed to the range control officer or the lead pilot of the training mission. The aircraft's flares contacted the ground while they were still burning, causing several fires. One of these fires spread rapidly beyond the boundary of the Warren Grove Training Range due to extreme environmental factors. In addition, the lead pilot of the training mission did not discuss the use of flares during the training mission with the pilot who subsequently dropped the flares. The investigation also found that prior to the start of the training mission, the lead pilot failed to properly coordinate with the range control officer concerning the use of flares. The board also noted as a contributing factor the failure of the range control officer to convey that flares were prohibited on the range at the time of the training mission. The Accident Investigation Board results have been presented and briefed by General Titshaw to residents of homes destroyed by the fire and to New Jersey Congressional members and state officials. The report has also been forwarded to the New Jersey adjutant general and to the 177th FW commander. To download the report's executive summary, statement of facts and statement of opinion, visit http://www.acc.af.mil/aibreports/. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service) Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) Click here to view the comments/letters page