Turned Compressor Vanes Led to Loss of Thrust in Thunderbird F-16 Crash

Investigators found that turned compressor vanes triggered a chain of engine damage that ultimately left the F-16 without sufficient thrust to remain airborne. On Dec. 3, 2025, an F-16CM of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron (USAFADS), the “Thunderbirds”, crashed into a lakebed near Trona, California. While the pilot successfully ejected and survived with […]