Two F-2 fighter jets Collided midair during mutual aircraft Check. Two Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jets contacted each other midair during mutual aircraft check after combat training with two other F-2’s over the East China Sea off Kushu, 200 km west of Tsuiki Airbase.
The leader’s F-2 lost a small portion of the vertical stabilizer, and No.2 F-2 lost a part of the missile launcher under the left wing and got a scratch on the fuel tank. Both pilots declared the emergency.
The No.1 F-2 landed safely at Tsuiki at 16:22 LT, and the second followed at 16:30 LT.
According to the Defense Ministry Aviation Staff Notification, some parts of the aircraft were damaged, but there was no other damage such as injuries to the pilot. Both pilots suffered no injuries.
The troubled F-2 had carried no missile. No fuel leak was observed. The damaged part seems to have fallen offshore
According to the sky curtain, the two F2s took off at the station at 2:55 p.m for a battle training that was conducted off west of Kyushu, about 200 kilometers west.
At around 3:55, they contacted each other while checking whether there was any abnormality in their aircraft.
The JASDF is investigating the cause of the mishap and reported that the planes’ pilots did not suffer any injuries as a result of the midair accident.
The Mitsubishi F-2 is a multirole fighter based on the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and looks very similar in appearance to the F-16.
