Warbird Information Exchange

A civilian pilot flying for Airborne Tactical Advantage Co., was killed Tuesday morning when his F-21 Kfir jet crashed near the west gate of Naval Air Station Fallon, six miles east of the city limits.

Spokesman Matt Bannon of ATAC, which is based in Newport News, Va., said the pilot's name is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.

“We are concentrating on that,” he said in a telephone interview.

Bannon said he did not have additional details on the cause of the crash but will notify the base public affairs office when information becomes available. Bannon said the pilot was supporting the operations of Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center.

The said the F-21 jet crashed into a structure but no other information was provided.

This is the second time within two years that a jet belonging to ATAC crashed during a training mission. On July 8, 2010, a civilian pilot ejected safely before his A-4 Skyhawk jet from the air station crashed in an alfalfa field north of the base shortly after takeoff. No structures were damaged.

A Navy jet, however, crashed on Feb. 24 about 31 miles north of Fallon. Both pilots, who were temporarily assigned to NSAWC, ejected safely and were treated at the base hospital.

Firefighters from both NAS Fallon and Fallon/Churchill responded to the crash and subsequent fire.

Aircraft Tactical Advantage Co., which owned the jet, supports the mission at NAS Fallon. The contractor simulates enemy aircraft for Navy pilots during training exercises. The pilot was a civilian who worked for the company.

According to ATAC's website, “For the last 16 years , ATAC has trained Navy, Marine, Air Force and Army aircrews, ship-crews, and Combat Controllers in the air-to-ship, air-to-air, and air-to-ground arenas ... ATAC is the only civilian organization approved to train the U.S. Navy's elite Fighter Weapons School, also known as ‘TOPGUN' and is the only civilian organization to train the USAF's F-22 Raptors.”

The F-21 Kfir is an Israeli-built, all-weather jet that was designed as a ground attack aircraft with a secondary role as a fighter. Most of the 212 Kfirs were built in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Since a civilian aircraft was involved in the crash, the NAS Fallon Public Affairs Office said the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the accident.

NTSB Identification: DCA12PA049
Nonscheduled 14 CFR Public Use
Accident occurred Tuesday, March 06, 2012 in Fallon, NV
Aircraft: ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES F21-C2, registration: N404AX
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On March 6, 2012 at 0914 pacific standard time, an Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Kfir F-21C2 single-seat turbojet fighter type aircraft, registration N404AX, operated by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) under contract to Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as a civil pubic aircraft operation, crashed upon landing at Naval Air Station Fallon, Fallon, Nevada. The sole occupant pilot aboard was killed, and the airplane was substantially damaged by impact forces and fire. The flight had departed Fallon at 0752 the same day, and attempted to return following an adversary training mission. The pilot initiated two Ground Control Approach (GCA) radar approaches to Fallon and then attempted to divert to Reno but was unable to land there as the field was reporting below minimum weather conditions. The pilot then turned back toward Fallon and stated to air traffic controllers that he was in a critical fuel state. The pilot descended and maneuvered first toward runway 31, then toward runway 13. The airplane struck the ground in an open field in the northwest corner of the airport property and impacted a concrete building on the field. Weather at the time of the accident was reported as snowing with northerly winds of 23 knots gusting to 34 knots, and visibility between one-half and one and one-half miles.