The Arizona F-16 Drone Collision

In January 2023, an F-16 fighter jet on a training mission over Arizona struck an unidentified flying object. The object hit the aircraft’s clear canopy - the transparent covering over the cockpit. Initially suspected to be a bird strike, investigation later determined the object was a drone. Despite extensive investigation, neither the drone nor its operator has ever been identified.

The Incident

The Collision

January 2023:

• F-16 on training mission over Arizona
• Object struck the aircraft’s clear canopy
• Impact detected by instructor pilot in rear seat
• Damage to aircraft occurred
• Emergency protocols activated

Initial Assessment

First responders believed:

• Possible bird strike
• Common occurrence in aviation
• Standard investigation launched
• Damage assessment conducted
• Evidence collected

The Discovery

Investigation revealed:

• Not a bird strike
• Object was a drone
• Type and origin unknown
• No registered flight plan
• No operator came forward

The Investigation

Evidence Collection

Investigators examined:

• Damage patterns on canopy
• Any recovered debris
• Radar data from the area
• Witness statements
• Flight recorder data

Findings

The analysis determined:

• Object was definitely a drone
• Unknown make and model
• Operating in training airspace
• No authorized flights in area
• Deliberate or accidental presence unclear

Dead End

Despite investigation:

• Drone operator never identified
• Drone location unknown
• No arrests made
• Case remains open
• Attribution impossible

The Implications

Aviation Safety

The incident highlighted:

• Risk of drones to military aircraft
• Vulnerability during training
• Need for better detection
• Airspace management challenges
• Growing drone threat

Near Miss

The outcome could have been worse:

• Canopy strike is serious
• Could have shattered canopy
• Could have injured pilot
• Could have downed aircraft
• F-16s cost $18+ million

Part of Pattern

This fits broader trends:

• Increasing drone-aircraft encounters
• Military bases targeted by drones
• Langley, Nevada, New Jersey incidents
• Growing aerial threat landscape
• Persistent identification challenges

Official Response

Air Force

The military confirmed:

• Incident occurred as described
• Investigation conducted
• Drone determination made
• No attribution possible
• Safety measures reviewed

FAA Involvement

Civil aviation authorities:

• Notified of the incident
• Drone enforcement limited
• Airspace violation confirmed
• No enforcement action possible
• Operator never found

The Questions

Who Operated the Drone?

Possibilities include:

• Hobbyist in wrong airspace
• Deliberate interference
• Surveillance operation
• Testing of military response
• Accidental incursion

Why No Identification?

The lack of attribution suggests:

• Operator unaware of collision
• Deliberate evasion
• Drone destroyed on impact
• Insufficient tracking capability
• Investigation limitations

What If?

Had the strike been worse:

• Pilot could have been injured
• Aircraft could have been lost
• Training mission fatality possible
• Major investigation required
• National security incident

The Lesson

In January 2023, an F-16 fighter jet hit something over Arizona.

It wasn’t a bird.

It was a drone.

An unregistered, unauthorized drone flying in military training airspace.

It struck a $18+ million fighter jet.

It could have killed the pilot.

And we have no idea who was flying it.

That’s the reality of modern aviation.

Drones everywhere. Operators unknown.

Even military jets - the most sophisticated aircraft in the world - vulnerable to collision with objects we can’t identify.

The F-16 landed safely.

The investigation found nothing.

The operator remains unknown.

The drone’s purpose remains unknown.

And somewhere out there, that operator either doesn’t know they almost killed an Air Force pilot…

Or they know exactly what they were doing.

Either possibility is concerning.

The Arizona F-16 Drone Collision.

A training mission that became an investigation.

An investigation that became a dead end.

A dead end that became a warning.

Drones are everywhere.

And we can’t always see them.

Until they hit us.