Insufficient pilot training may have led to the crash of the first F-16, – The Wall Street Journal

Ukraine’s loss of its first American F-16 fighter jet may have been due to the rush to use these aircraft and insufficient training of pilots.

This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The article states that Ukraine has been unable to determine the cause of the F-16 crash and the pilot’s death.

American officials have stated that Ukraine has not found evidence that the aircraft was downed by friendly or enemy fire, or due to mechanical failure.

The publication, citing an official, also reports that a Russian missile exploded near the F-16 shortly before it disappeared from radar. The explosion could have damaged the plane or forced the pilot to maneuver too low, which led to the crash.

In general, all Ukrainian pilots who have completed training have very little experience flying these machines.

“Ukrainian Air Force pilots had insufficient experience for combat missions. Moreover, before the fighter’s crash, Danish instructors expressed doubts about the ability of some pilots to fly independently,” the publication writes.

The crash “demonstrated what happens when you try to rush things,” but there are no plans to change the overseas training program for Ukrainian pilots.

Earlier, MP Maryana Bezuhla claimed that the F-16 that crashed on August 29 was shot down by a Patriot missile system.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration refused to send technical personnel to Ukraine to service the F-16s due to safety concerns.