John M. Barelka was born on April 11, 1962. He served in the US Army Air Forces as a Captain and a Fighter Pilot.

On 8 November 1993, Captain John M. Barelka, the mishap pilot (MP), was flying an F-16CG (S/N 88-0448) as the number three aircraft (call sign: Wolf 3) in a four ship of F-16's on a United States Air Force Weapons School syllabus sortie. The flight lead for the mission was Captain Michael Fantini (call sign Wolf 1).

The instructor pilots in the flight were Captain Eric Overturf (Wolf 2) and Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Conroy (call sign Wolf 4). All mission elements to include planning, briefing, preflight, ground operations, taxi, takeoff, flight to the Nellis range complex, ingress to the target area, and weapons delivery were unremarkable.

During the egress portion of the mission, while manoeuvering at low altitude, the mishap aircraft impacted the ground at approximately 15:17 PST, 17 miles South West of Alamo, Nevada at 37-11.10 North latitude, 115-26.20 West longitude, and was destroyed on impact. No ejection was initiated and the mishap pilot was fatally injured.

Engineering analysis of the wreckage revealed that the aircraft engine, flight instruments, and flight controls were all responding normally immediately prior to the impact.

Source of information: aviation-safety.net/
Photo source: http://greatwarhawknation.com