Military: F-16 crashes in Iraq during close air support mission, attached to Ohio National Guard, details scant

An F-16 takes off from Balad Air Base on its way to air support mission in February.

Air Force reports F-16 crash, rare event in Iraq war; pilot's fate unreported

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed early Friday morning in Iraq while supporting a ground forces operation, the Air Force reported.

The announcement, which referred to the 12:27 a.m. crash as an accident, did not say where it occurred or what happened to the pilot, the single crew member.

The loss of an F-16, a workhorse warplane in the Iraq war, is a rare event. One crashed last Nov. 27 in the western province of Anbar, killing the pilot.

The jet was deployed to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

F-16 Fighter Plane from Ohio Crashes in Iraq

An F-16 fighter jet from the Ohio Air National Guard has crashed in Iraq. The U.S. Central Air Command says the fighter jet crashed on a close air support mission. Colonel Carole Allen, commander of the 180th Fighter Wing has confirmed that the plane came from the 180th...

The office of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur confirmed the crash, saying the pilot's name was not yet known. The incident is still under investigation.

Pilots for the 180th left for their mission in Iraq during the last week of May. While in Iraq, they were expected to fly surveillance and support missions to help ground troops. They are scheduled to return to Toledo later this summer.

Read the rest at Fox 19

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