F-16 Crashes During Takeoff in Texas, Pilot Safe
An F-16 pilot ejected after the aircraft caught fire and crashed during takeoff Wednesday at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base near Houston. The pilot, assigned to a detachment of the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 138th Fighter Wing, was under direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command at the time of the mishap, NORAD said in a statement. At about 9:30 a.m. local time, the pilot took off for a training flight and crashed at the base. The Houston Airport System told ABC-13 the F-16 caught fire during takeoff, and photos posted by the station showed the jet in the grass near the flightline. The pilot was being evaluated at a local medical facility, NORAD said. The command did not provide additional information on the F-16’s training mission. Ellington Field is home to the 147th Attack Wing, which flies MQ-1B Predators.

Aus dem Newsletter der AirForce-Assosiation vom 22.06.2017