Fighter Jet Engine Malfunctions Mid-Air

YouTube / 3 Minutes of Aviation

Cutting The Routine Short

The Belgian Air Force’s F-16 “Viper” suffered a compressor stall during the Zeltweg AirPower in 2016. The jet fighter took off without any problems but was later met with a loud explosion and an engine backfire that forced the pilot to perform an emergency landing.

At 03:20, you can see the aircraft’s engine emanating flames similar to that of a compressor stall. 

However, most of the comments are suggesting that the cause of the accident was a cracked afterburner spray ring. Apparently, the afterburner wasn’t functioning properly even from the start!

Here’s what Jack Lynch had to say:

Only lower portion of A/B was functioning right from start of takeoff roll; verified whenever you can see up the tailpipe and see black, non-burning parts of the burner ring. 

Whatever the cause was, at least the pilot and the aircraft were safe after the smooth landing.