On January 12, 1983 the F-16A Fighting Falcon #80-0600 call sign Cobra 32 piloted by Capt Peter L. Jones, departed Nellis AFB, Nevada at 11:12am as the wingman of a two ship flight. The mission was a Fighter Weapons School one vs one continuation training sortie and was the first flight of the day for both pilots. While proceeding to the Alamo training area each pilot accomplished a system check. Two offensive engagements were flown uneventful. The third engagement began from a four to five nautical mile butterfly set-up with number one turning to the south and number two turning to the north. They passed left to left 180 degrees out at 18,000 to 19,000 feet MSL and approximately 3000 to 4000 feet line abreast. Number one started a left climbing turn and noted Cobra 32 begin a slice to the left. Number one increased his turn and observed a fireball as Cobra 32 impacted the ground. The pilot was killed when he did not eject from his steeply diving aircraft.

On the long drive to reach the starting point of the hike. I was able to figure out the location of this crash site a few years ago, finally getting around to doing the hike.

The area I'll be hiking in is bordered by the Nellis Air Force Base bombing and gunnery range.

Soon as I left the truck, I found a link from a 50 cal. It's been many years since any aircraft have been armed with 50s. This must have been laying here for a long time.

I saw this piece of aluminum shinning from about a hundred yards away. After checking it out, could tell that it was from a Dart aerial tow target by it's low quality (soft) and the familiar honeycomb pattern on the other side.

After leaving the main canyon and climbing up a side canyon, I came upon the first piece of aircraft wreckage.

The number 16 prefix indicates that this is a piece from a F-16.

Looking up the canyon that I will follow to the crash site.

Didn't take long to find more pieces. At this point, I'm still about 2000 feet from the impact area.

This looks like it's from one of the main landing gears.

Another small group of pieces. Looks like they were gathered up and placed here.

This piece has some electrical connectors.

Looks like some type of valve body. There were a lot of fittings on it.

Piece from the engine.

Closer look showing some of the variable pitch stator blades.

For about half an hour, a couple of F-22s were flying overhead. I've seen F-22s in the past, but this is the first time seeing them dog fighting. Got to watch them perform some trust vectoring maneuvers. At times they would pitch up and it looked like they just about stopped before turning.

A section of fuselage skin with access panels.

Electrical connector.

Titanium honeycomb.

Piece from the canopy. Being out here twenty-nine years has yellowed the once clear polycarbonate plastic.

Another piece from the canopy.

The first piece of carbon fiber I came upon at the site

Looks like the remains of an actuator, it's about four inches in diameter. As I hike up the canyon, I can see a lot of pieces of wreckage up on the south side. Plan to continue up in the bottom of the canyon and check out the other wreckage on the way down.

A four foot long section from the fuselage.

The other side of the same piece.

I didn't have a clue what this part was until I was looking through a book to indemnify some other parts that I found at the site. I just happen to see a Sidewinder missile mounted on a F-16 and noticed the part looked like one of the things that are on the missile's wings. Turns out it's called a rolleron. It's a hinged control surface, the wheel is spun by the air flow and it's gyroscopic motion counteracts the missile's tendency to roll. I've seen these on Sidewinder photos before, but never knew what they were.

This drawing shows the location of the rollerons on the missile. Drawing copied from US Navy NAVEDTRA 14313.

The wheel is about three inches in diameter and has some holes that were drilled to balance it. It must spin at a very high speed as the Sidewinder has a speed of greater than mach 2.

The remains of the pilot's parachute. When I'm at crash sites, I tend to forget the fact that someone may have lost their lives there. Things like this parachute remind me of that fact.

Webbing and lines from the parachute.

A piece from the rudder with a static discharge wick attached.

Close up of the static discharge wick. This shot also shows the aluminum honeycomb core and carbon fiber skin construction.

Looking down the canyon I've been hiking up, some wreckage can be seen near the center of the photo.

Gears that someone placed on a rock.

A couple of large pieces of skin. Looks like they're from the wing.

A piece from the General Electric M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon.

Part number on the same piece with the "GE" for General Electric.

Judging by the color, this looks like Kevlar. Guessing that it might be some of the F-16's armor.

Piece of a trailing edge from a control surface.

Looks like I'm getting close to the impact area. Finding a higher concentration of pieces.

One of the wing pylons.

Another view of the same pylon.

My first view of the impact crater which is in the center of the photo.

What remained of the F-16's M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon was in the impact crater.

Sections of four of the six barrels remained on the cannon.

Another view of the impact crater. The direction of flight was from the right.

Pieces from the landing gear.

I been told that is a inert warhead section from a Sidewinder missile. It's made from aluminum.