F-16 Crashes at Luke Air Force Base

Update: Gen Mike Rothstein, the Luke AFB wing commander, indicated the F-16 may have been brought down by a bird strike.


Two pilots ejected safely when their F-16 crashed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, last night.

The jet went down just before 7 p.m. in a desert area about 3 miles west of the airfield, said officials at the base.

Both pilots suffered minor injuries, Sgt. Linda Rainey said. Their names weren’t immediately released.

Glendale Fire Department officials said the two pilots were seen walking around after the crash and were taken to Luke Air Force Base Hospital for further evaluation.

Luke is the primary training base for American F-16 pilots (the base also hosts international F-16 training), meaning the two pilots were likely instructor and student.

Repeated at Stars and Stripes and the Air Force Times.

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