History and mysteries · Little Egg Harbor and Warren Grove Range
The school struck by a training aircraft’s cannon (2004)
Documented history · Source reviewed
An Air Force investigation identified a combination of pilot error, confusing controls and a missing safety procedure.
Rounds outside the range
On November 3, 2004, an F-16 from the District of Columbia Air National Guard accidentally discharged 27 rounds during a Warren Grove training mission. Some struck a Little Egg Harbor school about four miles south of the range. No one was injured.
The Air Force’s December 17 release attributed the incident to pilot error, a poorly designed interface between pilot and aircraft, and the absence of a published safety procedure. Reducing this finding to a pilot deliberately targeting the building would reverse the investigation’s conclusion.
Changes after the investigation
Officials announced changes to aircraft software and range procedures. They would restrict when weapons could be armed and alter flight plans so weapons pointed toward unpopulated areas. A town meeting presented the findings to residents.
The published summary establishes the combination of failures and the announced response. It does not independently demonstrate when each promised change was completed.
Sources and research limits
U.S. Air Force, accident-report release, December 17, 2004. The release was read in full; the underlying complete board report was not obtained.