An American F-16 took off from Aviano Air Base in Italy in early March 2022 for an armed patrol over Southern Europe, but it had to return to base only moments later.
The US Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 31st Fighter Wing are currently serving with NATO to support security operations on the continent. However, one of the fighters almost had a disastrous outcome even before the mission started.
As the fighter’s undercarriage was crippled during takeoff, it not only put an end to the operation but forced the fighter to perform a gear-up landing.
Several sectors had to be locked down during the emergency, and the staff on the ground was ready for any eventuality.
The pilot then took the plunge, and footage shot at the scene quickly went viral. As the Fighting Falcon carrying highly volatile fluids and live missiles glided across the airstrip, disaster loomed large in the air…
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