Schmitz's focus that night was split between two missions: He was part of a four-aircraft group conducting an air-to-air refueling from a
KC-135 Stratotanker and a suppression of enemy air defense simulation. While it was not unusual to combine events, the Air Force said, Schmitz had no prior experience with either. Part of that training, particularly a fighter conducting air-to-air refueling, was supposed to take place before Schmitz got to Shaw. It didn't. He was unable to successfully refuel that night, despite his attempts.
Shaw had drastically limited flying operations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schmitz had spent just 8 hours in his jet in the 30 days before the accident, according to the accident report. And throughout his training, he had racked up only 12 night flights total in the F-16, with just two at Shaw.
Schmitz arrived at Shaw from the F-16 "B course" at
Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, just that January and had only a few weeks' training in the air before the temporary stoppage.
He was supposed to receive in-flight refueling experience at the B course, which was his formal training unit, but did not.
The investigation stated that these factors contributed to the already complicated task of executing these events without prior experience. As a result, a relatively routine training mission turned fatal.
