F-16 Fighting Falcon News

September 23, 2003 (by Lieven Dewitte) - An F-16C from the Texas Air National Guard's 147th Fighter Wing crashed Monday afternoon in rural western Louisiana. The pilot ejected and was in satisfactory condition at a hospital at the Army's nearby Fort Polk.
The pilot was one of a group of F-16 pilots from Ellington Air Base in Houston flying over the area during a routine training mission. The plane crashed into the woods of Vernon Parish at about 1 p.m., Hilton said.

Air National Guard Lt. Ramsey Hammad said the jet went down Monday afternoon in Rosepine, Louisiana, near Ft. Polk, a U.S. Army base.

Military police from Fort Polk were at the scene.

The mission of the 147th FW is to conduct worldwide combat operations with the F-16C aircraft. The unit performs home station Air Sovereignty Alert and F-16 General Purpose role. It also trains to mobilize and deploy in accordance with the USAF war and mobilization plans, and tasked theater plans.

The Wing is an essential part of the First Air Force Team and one of the finest units in the Air National Guard.