The U.S. Air Force has blamed a Dec. 3, 2025 Thunderbird F-16CM crash near Trona, California, on three misaligned compressor vanes inside the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engine. The Air Force Accident Investigation Board completed the report on 1 September and released it publicly on 21 September, clearing the pilot, maintainers and Thunderbird leadership of fault.
Investigators found that the turned vanes in the fourth and fifth stages of the compressor triggered abnormal airflow, vibratory stress and blade failures that caused catastrophic engine damage and a severe loss of thrust. The pilot lost thrust at low altitude, attempted to recover and ejected safely after about four minutes and 21 seconds, sustaining minor injuries. The F-16 was destroyed on impact, with the loss estimated at $33.46 million.
The board could not determine why the vanes turned. It also concluded that the inability to inspect the affected compressor stages without removing and opening the engine was a key factor in the mishap, exposing a maintenance blind spot in the F100 core. The finding echoes earlier concerns about deep-engine inspection limits in the same engine family after a similar F-16 loss-of-thrust accident.