Air National Guard pilot became disoriented before fatal crash
MADISON - The Wisconsin Air National Guard pilot who fatally crashed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in December became disoriented, a report from the U.S. Air Force Aircraft Accident Investigation Board found.
Capt. Durwood “Hawk” Jones, 37, died after crashing his F-16 Fighting Falcon in a wooded area of the Hiawatha National Forest on Dec. 8, 2020. The pilot was operating out of the 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field in Madison and was conducting a training exercise.
The report found that the cause of the crash was the pilot’s “failure to effectively recover from spatial disorientation.”
Investigators found the pilot’s use of night vision goggles restricted his field of view and he was “likely unable to identify a true horizon.” The night conditions, lack of light and entering a cloud layer also reduced visual cues.
According to the report, the pilot observed that the GPS was degraded due to a lack of satellite tracking data. He decided to perform an alignment to another navigation system. The pilot focused on recovering the system while losing overall spatial awareness.
All inspections were completed prior to flight. Two unscheduled maintenance events, including one to replace the embedded GPS, occurred in the 90 days before the crash, but the report concluded there was no evidence they contributed to the crash.
The accident investigator noted in the report that the total destruction of the aircraft limited the ability to analyze physical evidence.
Jones of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is survived by his wife and two children. He is a decorated combat veteran and served in Japan, Korea and Afghanistan, according to a release from the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs.