Iraqi F-16 jet fighter crashes during training mission in US
Xinhua, June 25, 2015 Adjust font size:
The Iraqi Defense Ministry Thursday said that one Iraqi F-16 jet fighter crashed Wednesday evening during a training mission at a U.S. air base in the United States.
"One of our Iraqi Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft crashed during a training mission in one of America's Arizona air bases, about five miles east of Douglas Municipal Airport," the statement said.
A probe was immediately launched to investigate the reason behind the crash, the statement said, adding that specialized teams are conducting a search operation for the lone Iraqi pilot who had been training in the U.S. for the past four years whose identity and condition are currently unknown.
While delivery of them is on hold, the Iraq government ordered 36 Lockheed Martin F-16 jet fighters, as Iraqi pilots have been training on the new aircraft since 2012.
Officials with the Cochise County Sheriff's Office told local broadcaster KOLD-TV that several homes had to be evacuated due to the large fire caused by the crash.
The crash sparked a bush fire that was burning next to a high-pressure gas line. Emergency personnel from the Fire Department were pulled back from the area due to the proximity of the gas line. Endit