# Accident 20120306005029A: Israel Aircraft Industries KFIR-C2, Fallon, NV, March 6, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 6, 2012, 09:14 local time
- Place: Fallon, NV
- Airport: Van Voorhis Field
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Location: 39.4178° N, 118.6986° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4178&lon=-118.6986&mi=10
- Aircraft: N404AX, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N404AX-2018-01-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Israel Aircraft Industries KFIR-C2 (registry code 4500310, https://openairdocs.org/model/israel-aircraft-industries-kfir-c2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: GE J79-J1E (registry code 30161, https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-j79-j1e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES KFIR-C2
- Reported engine: GE J79-J1E
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 4,679 total, 79 in this make and model, 32 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA12PA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA12PA049) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120306005029A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON MARCH 6, 2012 AT 0914 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES (IAI) KFIR F-21C2 SINGLE-SEAT TURBOJET FIGHTER, 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 (NFL), FALLON, NEVADA. THE SOLE OCCUPANT PILOT ABOARD WAS KILLED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY IMPACT FORCES AND FIRE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NFL AT 0752 THE SAME DAY, AND FOLLOWING AN ADVERSARY TRAINING MISSION THAT LASTED APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, RETURNED TO NFL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TWO GROUND CONTROL APPROACHES (GCA) TO NFL  UTILIZING PRECISION RADAR APPROACH EQUIPMENT.  DURING THE 2ND APPROACH, THE PILOT REQUESTED A DIVERT TO RENO (RNO) BUT WAS UNABLE TO LAND THERE BECAUSE THE FIELD WAS REPORTING BELOW MINIMUM WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE PILOT THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD NFL AND STATED TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS THAT HE WAS IN A CRITICAL FUEL STATE. THE PILOT WAS  INITIALLY CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 31, HOWEVER, WITHOUT COMMUNICATION WITH ATC, HE DESCENDED AND MANEUVERED TOWARD RUNWAY 13.  THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND IN AN OPEN FIELD LOCATED AT  THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY AND IMPACTED A CONCRETE BUILDING.  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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DCA12PA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA12PA049), Mar 6, 2012: Israel Aircraft Industries F21-C2 (N404AX), Fallon, NV, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: fuel exhaustion following missed approaches due to deficient ATC handling under weather conditions which were significantly lower than forecast. The second missed approach may have been initiated due…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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