On August 19, the U.S. Air Force said that they grounded 82 two-seater F-16D fighter jets because of canopy sill longeron cracks discovered between the front and rear pilots seats.
One hundred and fifty-seven F-16Ds were inspected by individual F-16 units and the cracks were discovered in 82. According to the Air Force sources, the 24 years old F-16D fleet is primarily used for training.
Lt. Col. Steve Grotjohn, Weapons System Division deputy chief said, “As aircraft accumulate flight hours, cracks develop due to fatigue from sustained operations… Fortunately, we have a robust maintenance, inspection and structural integrity program to discover and repair deficiencies as they occur.”
TAP Portugal Airlines flight TP-82 made an emergency landing in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 21st.
United Airlines flight UA-2397 made an emergency landing in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 10th.