NEW-MEXICO

F-16 crashes during Holloman training mission

Staff and wire reports

Two F-16 Fighting Falcon’s take off the runway at Holloman Air Force Base Oct. 13. The F-16’s are part of the 311th and 314th Squadrons who are responsible for training skilled and efficient F-16 fighter pilots for the Combat Air Force.

SALINAS PEAK, N.M. - U.S. Air Force authorities said Wednesday an F-16 fighter jet crashed while on a training mission in southern New Mexico, but the pilot safely ejected.

The Fighting Falcon went down about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday in rugged terrain near Salinas Peak, the highest point of the San Andres Mountains and some 45 miles northwest of Holloman Air Force Base, near Alamogordo. Officials from Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Ariz., said emergency response teams found the pilot in good condition.

Arlen Ponder, Holloman spokesman, added injuries to the pilot, who was not named, were not life threatening. The pilot was taken to a hospital closest to the crash site for treatment.

The pilot is assigned to the 314th Fighter Squadron, one of two squadrons with the 54th Fighter Group based at Holloman. The $25 million aircraft was not carrying live munitions at the time it crashed, and was flying in restricted military airspace over White Sands Missile Range, according to a press release from Holloman Air Force Base.

An Air Force team will investigate the cause of the crash. Selection of the investigation team will be based on knowledge of various specialties used to examine F-16 crashes.

Luke is making room for F-35 jets and shifting many F-16s to Holloman for training missions. F-16 training flights at Holloman began in November 2014.

The name of the pilot wasn’t immediately released.