Saturday, February 12, 2022

Dassault Mirage F1CR, N633AX: Accident occurred February 10, 2022 near Luke Air Force Base, (KLUF), Glendale, Maricopa County, Arizona

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. 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities: 
  • Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Scottsdale, Arizona
  • Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC); Luke AFB, Arizona 
  • USAF-HAF-AFSEC/SEF; Albuquerque, New Mexico 
  • Airborne Tactical Advantage Company; Ft Worth, Texas

Airborne Tactical Advantage Company LLC


Location: Glendale, Arizona
Accident Number: WPR22FA094
Date and Time: February 10, 2022, 11:05 Local
Registration: N633AX
Aircraft: DASSAULT AVIATION MIRAGE F1 CR
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Public aircraft

On February 10, 2022, about 1105 mountain standard time, an experimental Dassault Aviation Mirage F-1 CR Turbo-jet, N633AX, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Luke Air Force Base, (LUF), Glendale, Arizona. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a public-use aircraft in support of the United States Air Force’s simulated combat flight training.

According to the accident pilot, he flew in the number two position in a flight of two aggressor jets. The formation took off and proceeded to the Military Operating Area (MOA), where the two airplanes split up into separate areas. Near the completion of the area work, the number two airplane’s pilot reported a discrepancy between the two fuel quantity indications in the cockpit. Shortly thereafter, the number two airplane recovered separately and before the lead airplane, since it reached its briefed minimum fuel status first. While exiting the MOA, and enroute on the recovery, the pilot reported a loss of fuel pressure and shortly afterwards the engine flamed out.

The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. When the pilot determined that he could not make the runway at LUF, he accomplished a left turn to an uninhabited area and successfully ejected from the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane struck desert terrain about 16 miles northwest of LUF; there was no post-crash fire. The airplane wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: DASSAULT AVIATION
Registration: N633AX
Model/Series: MIRAGE F1 CR
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KLUF,1085 ft msl 
Observation Time: 10:58 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 16 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 24°C /-5°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 30°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.11 inches Hg 
Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Glendale, AZ (LUF) 
Destination: Glendale, AZ

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor 
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: 
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: 
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 33.705778,-112.63488 (est)






BUCKEYE, Arizona - Officials with Luke Air Force Base say an aircraft crashed about 15 miles northwest of the base on February 10.

In a statement, officials say the Mirage F1 aircraft, which operated out of Luke Air Force Base, was on a routine training mission before the crash.

"The pilot was able to safely eject," read a portion of the statement. We have learned that the pilot suffered minor injuries, and is expected to make a full recovery,

Base officials say Buckeye Police, along with support teams from the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department, 56th CES explosive ordnance disposal unit, and 56th Security Forces Squadron, responded to the crash scene.

"Our Airmen and partners are our most important resource and we are committed to conducting our mission to train the world’s greatest fighter pilots as safely as possible," said Brig. Gen. Gregory Kreuder, 56th Fighter Wing Commander, in the statement.. "We are thankful for the continued outstanding support Luke receives from our community partners, especially during difficult situations like this. Finally, I’m grateful nobody was hurt on the ground and the pilot was safely recovered with only minor injuries."

Records from the FAA show the aircraft is owned by Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, and the aircraft was used in adversary training exercises.

9 comments:

  1. An old French fighter. What is it doing in our arsenal?

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is a civilian contractor that provides aircraft and Pilots that the military uses in tactical fighting training..cheaper than using USAF jets.

    ReplyDelete
  3. On ADSBexchange you can occasionally catch these flying out west like here and down off the panhandle of Florida by Eglin AFB (Fort Walton Beach/Destin) or Tyndall AFB (Panama City) over the Gulf Of Mexico in an aerial test range. There are other civilian company contractor owned foreign made fighters doing these "aggressor" flights as well including other old jet warbirds like an F-21 KFIR and L-39 and even an MK-58 Hawker Hunter. Their opponents may be F-16s or F-35s or F-22s and do not show up on that website for obvious reasons. So basically you see the trails of these jets doing wild maneuvers on the flight track path. They are not alone.

    ReplyDelete
  4. These types of jets have been used for adversary training for Basic Fighter Maneuvering (BFM) and Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) for decades. This is nothing new. It's just a bummer when they have airborne emergencies, the pilot ejects, and it becomes a smoking hole. C'est la vie.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bunch of ex Generals and pilots have formed quite a few private contractor services like ATAC and Omega Air Refueling......sucking off the Government TIT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's also new private contractor pilots bringing in illegal immigrants into the United States. That's a whole new (never before) flight service business in the US. We haven't seen the worst of it....

      Delete
    2. They are delivering flight hours that are nearly half the cost of flying the bloated F-35 and F-16 for adversary training, as well as ensuring pilots are flying hours that they actually need to be certified to do.

      I am also curious who is bringing in illegal immigrants if the claim is not being backed up.

      These comments smell like an angry jet manufacturer to me.

      Delete
  6. Ran out of fuel? No fire at crash scene.

    ReplyDelete