Singapore remains confident in the operational capability and reliability of the F-16 aircraft, said Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen.

He was responding to questions raised by Member of Parliament (MP) Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and Nominated MP Neil Parekh regarding the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 crash at Tengah Air Base on May 8, 2024.

The findings of the investigation into the incident were previously issued on Jun. 19, 2024.

It was revealed that the root cause of the crash was 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," Ng said.

He added that the pilot acted per established emergency procedures as he was unable to control the aircraft safely.

Remain confident in F-16 aircrafts

The investigation also 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, Ng said.

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, he added.

"We remain confident in the operational capability and reliability of the F-16 aircraft, which is a well-established platform, with approximately 3,100 of them operating in 25 countries clocking over 19 million flight hours," Ng said.

Support for personnel

In terms of personnel support, Ng said 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 was proactively extended to the affected personnel, and assessments were made before they resumed their duties.

The pilot has been certified physically fit and psychologically ready, Ng said. He resumed flying on May 24, 2024.

Safety of populations around operation areas

Ng said the safety of populations around aircraft flying routes and training and operations areas is a key priority for the RSAF.

"The RSAF upholds the highest maintenance standards to ensure the airworthiness of every aircraft," he said.

He explained that it takes steps to minimise flight routes over residential areas where possible and ensures that the routes comply with norms prescribed by international bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Federal Aviation Authority of the United States.

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," Ng said.

Top photo from MINDEF/Facebook