Nellis F-16 crashes after colliding with another jet

Jace Radke and Diana Sahagun

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2000 | 10:43 a.m.

Air Force officials are investigating the crash of a F-16 fighter following a midair collision with another plane on the Nellis Range Tuesday.

It was the second crash involving an Air Force jet in five days.

The pilot, Maj. David Kossler, safely ejected from the plane before it crashed to the desert floor 70 miles north of Las Vegas near Mormon Mesa. He suffered only minor injuries, a Nellis spokesman, Tech. Sgt. Charles Ramey, said.

The $20 million plane Kossler was flying was destroyed, Ramey said.

Ramey said an apparent midair collision occurred with another F-16 at about 5 p.m. during a training mission. The second F-16 suffered only minor damage, and its pilot was not hurt.

Kossler is assigned to the 422nd Test Evaluation Squadron at Nellis. He has more than 3,300 hours of flying time, which includes 1,900 in the F-16.

Shortly after ejecting, Kossler was picked up by the 66th Rescue Squadron and taken to Nellis for medical evaluation.

An interim safety board has been convened to investigate the accident, Air Force officials said.

This was the second Nellis fighter to crash on a training mission in the last week. On Thursday Capt. Christopher Kirby was taking part in electronic warfare exercises over the Nellis Range when his $15 million F-15 crashed into a dry lake bed about 170 miles north of Las Vegas.

Like Kossler, Kirby was able to eject and suffered no injuries, said Brig. Gen. David Moody, commander of the Air Force's 57th wing.

On June 15, 1999, two F-15C Eagles from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. collided in midair over Lincoln County. The pilots suffered minor injuries.