TWO US NAVY McDONNELL Douglas F-18As landed safely at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, after sustaining substantial damage in a mid-air collision during air-combat manoeuvring over the Atlantic Ocean. In the 23 April incident, the aircraft were on a converging course and collided at around 400kt (740km/h), the left wing and tail of one aircraft hitting the radome and canopy of the other. Both aircraft were flown 110km (60nm) at 150kt to safe landings, one missing 5ft of wing and 3ft of tail, the other missing the radome and canopy. Neither pilot was injured, despite the substantial damage sustained by both aircraft.
Source: Flight International
