Two Air National Guard F-16s collided in the skies over Georgia Tuesday night, just two weeks after two Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets collided off the North Carolina coast on a routine training mission, Air Force officials said.
In both accidents, the pilots ejected safely, the fighter jets were lost, and a formal investigation is underway.
In Tuesday’s mid-air collision, the single-seat F-16s were flying at night over a military operating area in Jefferson County, Ga., when they apparently came in contact with each other.
There were no injuries on the ground as the planes went down about 9:15 p.m. in two separate sites in wooded areas.
The F-16s were assigned to the Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing in South Carolina.
The accident also comes after both the Air Force and Navy precision flying teams suffered high-profile accidents.
Last week, an Air Force Thunderbirds pilot ejected safely after completing a flyover at the U.S. Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony, while a Navy Blue Angels pilot was killed when his F-18 crashed shortly after takeoff.
The Navy has cancelled scheduled performances of the Blue Angels in New York and Ohio, while an investigation determines the cause of the June 2 crash.
