Tue, Nov 28, 2006
Fighter Was Strafing Insurgents
The whereabouts and condition of a
US Air Force pilot whose F-16 crashed outside Baghdad
Monday are still unknown, according to military
sources.
The F-16CG fighter, flying for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing
out of Balad Air Base, crashed Monday afternoon approximately 20
miles northwest of Baghdad, in an area near Fallujah officials say
was teeming with insurgent activity. The plane was engaged in
low-level strafing runs to support troops on the ground when it
went down for as-yet unknown reasons.
The Air Force has convened an investigative board to look into
the crash. Officials would not comment on the possibility the
fighter was shot down. The unnamed pilot has been classified as
"duty status and whereabouts unknown," said Maj. Gen. William
Caldwell, at a Tuesday news conference in Baghdad.
"Coalition reconnaissance assets and fighter aircraft were
overhead when the crash occurred and confirmed that insurgents were
in the vicinity of the crash site immediately following the crash,"
the statement said. "Ground forces secured the crash scene Monday,
as soon as the combat operations in the area ceased."
Video shown on the middle-eastern television network Al-Jazeera
purportedly shows smoldering wreckage of the aircraft, including
shots of the fighter's tail that identifies the aircraft as
AF900776, assigned to the 524th Fighter Squadron.
Responders found the single-place F-16's ejection seat, but it
wasn't possible to determine if the pilot had used the seat or not
-- contrary to reports from witnesses in the area that the pilot
died after ejecting from the plane.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]