I'll be interested in seeing how it al pans out. My money is on civilian pilot error, then controller error, then Air Force pilot error.

It seems like the Cessna climbed into the path of the 16, whether due to controller directing him to, error on his part, or the 16 being in the wrong place, hopefully investigation will reveal. Just forward and under the nose is about the only place the 16 pilot can't see well from the bubble canopy, so I can see how the 16 pilot might have missed seeing him. I think if he had seen him, he's got a lot of envelope to play with, I'd imagine he could have maneuvered one way or another. It's not like trying to miss a mountain or even an airliner, 10-20 feet either way would have meant a miss.

As for the witnesses? Fully armed? The 16 can carry something like 8 tons of various armaments... The Air Force statement says it was unarmed. Are you sure you can tell a fuel tank from a bomb? Unmarked? Do you know what markings are typical, and what low-viz markings on tactical aircraft look like? Here's a hint, they're not giant bold colorful pictures and numbers, they are easy to miss at first glance. Hell, I'm kinda wondering if the plane was actually green as the witness claims...

MV