F16's scramble to unresponsive pilot

The 601st Air & Space Operations Center responded to a call from the Federal Aviation Administration at approximately 8 p.m. Eastern time when radio calls to a civilian pilot went unanswered.

F-16 Fighting Falcons flying under the command and control of North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, Continental U.S. NORAD Region, scrambled to make airborne contact with the Cirrus SR-22 aircraft that was bound for Eagle Creek, Indiana from York, Nebraska.

The jets made visual contact with the plane at approximately 8:35 p.m. and attempted to gain the pilot’s attention through a series of actions, which included radio calls, expending flares and non-verbal cues. The fighters remained with the aircraft as it descended from 25,000 feet at its highest altitude until the SR-22 crashed into a residential area on the Ohio-West Virginia border near Parkersburg, W.V.

“The FAA called us for DOD assistance when the pilot failed to change his altitude and radio frequency after direction from ground controllers,” said Lt. Col. Ron Hudspeth, senior operations duty officer with the 601st AOC.

When the aircraft crashed at 9:55 p.m., the F-16s assisted first responders in locating the impact site by circling the area until Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies located the wreckage. Once deputies were on scene, the fighters returned to their home base in Toledo.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Source: WMBB News