Air Force Thunderbird Crashed After Failure in Engine 'Blind Spot'

The article explains that a December crash of a Thunderbird F-16 was traced to hidden engine damage that maintainers could not inspect during routine checks. Investigators said the failure came from misaligned internal vanes that led to compressor blade breakage, catastrophic thrust loss, and forced ejection. The piece argues this was not a maintenance error but a design and inspection gap inside the F100 engine. It also notes a similar F-16 crash 20 months earlier, strengthening the concern that the same blind spot remains unresolved.