RSAF to step up checks on component that failed in F-16 crash

The gyroscopes will also be replaced well before they reach advanced degradation

- Agqil Hamzah and Mike Yeo

The F-16 component responsible for the May 8 crash at Tengah Air Base will be subjected to additional routine maintenance checks to ensure that any early signs of degradation are detected.

The pitch rate gyroscopes will also be replaced pre-emptively, even before they reach a stage of advanced degradation, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) in a statement on June 19.

Pitch rate gyroscopes are components that a flight control computer uses to control an aircraft.

All F-16 fighter jets are fitted with them.

The statement laid out the conclusion of the investigations, which were led by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and supported by F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.