Friendly fire incidents usually involve the heat of combat but a Belgian Air Force F-16 on the ramp was a sitting duck for the serendipitously deadly aim of one of its stablemates. The Viper was fully fueled and thankfully unoccupied as it waited to go flying at the Florennes air base in southern Belgium. Meanwhile in the adjacent hangar, another F-16 was undergoing maintenance and someone apparently missed some items on a checklist. The 20-mm cannon was energized and loaded and you can guess the rest.
The gun was fired and put several rounds into the aircraft outside. It exploded instantly and burned furiously. Belgian authorities are, of course, investigating and Lockheed Martin, which builds the F-16, will also undoubtedly be involved. Two technicians inside the hangar suffered hearing injuries.
