Pilot Rafid Mohammed Hassan dies when F-16 Fighting Falcon crashes during training exercise near Douglas, Arizona

Modified Date: 
Thu, 06/25/2015 - 3:56pm
Accident Date: 
Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Iraqi Air Force F-16 crashes during training in Arizona

(CNN) '€” An F-16 on a night training mission crashed Wednesday in southeastern Arizona, and the fate of the pilot is not yet known, according to the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard. In a post on its Facebook page, the 162nd Wing said the fighter jet crashed at about 8 p.m., 5 miles east of Douglas Municipal Airport, which is located near the U.S.-Mexico border. '€œThe F-16 belonging to the Iraqi Air Force was being flown by an Iraqi student pilot on a night training mission,'€ the post said. A board will be appointed to investigate the incident, the 162nd Wing said. The 162nd Wing, headquartered in Tucson, specializes in the training of international F-16 Fighting Falcon aircrews, according to the unit'€™s website.

Iraqi pilot flew military plane that crashed in Arizona

McSally, a retired Air Force colonel, was the first female U.S. fighter pilot to fly in combat. The 162nd Wing conducts international F-16 pilot training from Tucson International Airport as well as reconnaissance missions from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, according to its website. He said the rescue operation is difficult because the plane hit a gas pipeline in a rural area. Hassan was the only person aboard when the plane went down during a Wednesday night training mission with the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing, the Guard said in a statement. The plane hit a gas pipeline and sparked a fire that has since been extinguished, said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels.
People Involved: 
Rafid Mohammed Hassan
Area: 
Tucson, AZ

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