Air Force investigators determined that the wingman pilot who died during an Oct. 15 collision between two F-16 fighters was at fault for the accident. In a report released Jan. 11 by Air Combat Command, the wingman clearly failed “to reduce airspeed and establish the appropriate flight path vector” during the nighttime mission, the Air Force stated. The investigators suggest that the deceased pilot’s attention may have been diverted because of a radar failure. The other plane sustained moderate damage, and the pilot landed it safely. The crash occurred 126 nautical miles southwest of Shaw Air Force Base, the home base of both aircraft, which were attached to the 77th Fighter Squadron. Media reports identified the wingman as Capt. Nicholas Giglio, and the lead pilot as Capt. Lee Bryant.
