Iraqi student pilot confirmed dead after F-16 crash
A pilot was killed when an F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed Sept. 5, 2017, 20 miles northwest of Safford, Ariz.
An Iraqi student pilot conducting a routine F-16 training mission in conjunction with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing in Tucson, Ariz., went down at approximately 3 p.m.
The pilot was flying an F-16 belonging to the Iraqi air force. The U.S. Air Force is training Iraqi pilots in F-16 fighters at the request of the Iraqi Government. These fighter pilots are vital to their country’s defense.
The Air Force has established an interim safety board to investigate the incident.