Thursday, June 25, 2015

U.S. Military F-16 Crashes in Arizona, Sparking Fire, pilot's status unknown








A military F-16 crashed in Arizona during a training exercise late Wednesday, sparking a large fire, authorities said.

The incident - which occurred at 8 p.m. local time near Douglas, a town on the U.S.-Mexico border - involved an F-16 with the 162nd Wing, Arizona Air National Guard, Air National Guard officials told ABC News.

The pilot was participating in a night-training exercise at the time of the crash, authorities said. The pilot's status was not known.

No homes or businesses were affected, as the crash occurred in a rural area. According to the Cochise County Sheriff's Office, the fire burned near a major gas line and posed problems for firefighters due to its size.



The crash occurred around 8 p.m. near Leslie Canyon, sparking a huge fire, the Tucson News Now reported. A large number of emergency personnel had responded to the scene, but some firefighters were held back because of the presence of gas liens around the area, the station reported.


A witness told the station that he saw fireball explosions that lit up the night sky like daylight.

U.S. Army personnel from Fort Huachuca were sent to secure the crash site until Air Force officials arrived, Hauchuca spokesman Tanja Linton said.
Douglas sits on the Arizona border with Mexico.