NTSB Says Midair Collision Reveals Safety Problems

The ongoing investigation into the fatal midair collision between an Air Force F-16 and a privately operated Cessna 172 near Bradenton, Fla., on Nov. 16, 2000, reveals “safety issues that warrant the FAA’s attention,” said the NTSB. The Safety Board said Tampa controllers were unaware that the military flight was actually a formation of two F-16s and were unfamiliar with the existence of a military training route even though it started within their area of responsibility. Controllers also failed to detect a navigational error by the two F-16s, notice their unapproved entries into class B and C airspace and “perceive the subsequent traffic conflict” with the 172, said investigators.