Written Reply by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen to Parliamentary Questions on F16 Incident at Tengah Air Base on 2 Jul 2024

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Defence with regard to the RSAF F-16 crash at Tengah Air Base (a) what are the preventive maintenance and measures taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur; (b) what steps are taken to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the pilot and all staff involved in or affected by the incident; and (c) what are the plans and measures to reassure residents and businesses of the safety of the surrounding areas of Tengah Air Base.

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) what are the key findings of the investigation into the recent crash of an RSAF F-16 jet at Tengah Air Base; (b) what is the Ministry's assessment of the steps taken by the pilot during the course of the entire incident; (c) what are the Ministry's and RSAF's overall assessment of the operational capability of the F-16 jets; and (d) whether there are any particular concerns resulting from the Tengah Air Base incident.

Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen:

This reply addresses the questions raised by Mr Neil Parekh and Mr Zhulkarnain regarding the RSAF F-16 crash in Tengah Air Base on 8 May 2024.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), supported by Lockheed Martin and the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, has concluded the investigation on the incident.  The findings, which have also been reviewed by the SAF's Inspector General Office and the External Review Panel on SAF Safety, were issued on 19 June 2024.  Members can find the detailed news release on the MINDEF website.

In summary, the root cause of the incident was due to the simultaneous malfunction of two out of four pitch rate gyroscopes, which provided similar erroneous inputs to the digital flight control computer. This is a rare occurrence and the first such failure reported to Lockheed Martin since the F-16s first flew in 1974. Unable to safely control the aircraft, the pilot acted in accordance to established emergency procedures.

The investigation showed that the F-16 had been maintained in accordance with established protocols, and its pre-flight built-in test did not detect any fault with the gyroscopes before take-off. To better detect early signs of gyroscope degradation and reduce the chance of a reoccurrence going forward, the RSAF has put in place an additional preventive maintenance procedure for the gyroscopes, over and above what is stipulated by the aircraft manufacturer.  

We remain confident in the operational capability and reliability of the F-16 aircrafts, which is a well-established platform, with approximately 3,100 of them operating in 25 countries clocking over 19 million flight hours^[1].

The RSAF has a dedicated team of aviation medicine doctors and psychologists to ensure that its service personnel are physically fit and psychologically ready for their training and missions. After the incident, medical and psychological support were proactively extended to the affected personnel, and assessments made before they resumed their duties. The pilot has been certified physically fit and psychologically ready. He has resumed flying from 24 May 2024.

The safety of populations around its aircraft flying routes and training and operations areas is a key priority to the RSAF. The RSAF upholds the highest maintenance standards to ensure the airworthiness of every aircraft. It takes steps to minimise flight routes over residential areas where possible and ensures that the routes are in accordance to norms prescribed by international bodies including the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Federal Aviation Authority of the United States. These norms are similar to those adopted in airports in densely populated cities.

As part of their training, RSAF pilots are also trained to handle various types of aircraft emergencies, and to prioritise the safety of the public. This training ensures that our pilots are able to respond quickly and professionally to minimise any risk to the public in the event of an aircraft emergency.

^[1] Statistics from Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon Fast Facts, correct as of May 2024