March 18, 2005 (by Lieven Dewitte) -
An Air Force pilot was able to safely eject moments before his F-16DJ crashed just short of the runway at Nellis Air Force Base.
F-16D #92-3927 seen during better times.
The aircraft had recently been assigned to the 16th Weapons Squadron at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School based at Nellis.
The crash occurred about 8:34 a.m., military officials said in a statement. The pilot was taken to a hospital, where he was being evaluated and treated for minor scratches.
Officials said a safety board has been formed to investigate the crash.
The last F-16 accident at Nellis occurred in August 8, 2000, when two planes collided in midair. One jet was destroyed when it hit the ground on the slopes of the Mormon Mountains. The pilot ejected safely and was picked up by search and rescue forces from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The other jet landed safely despite sustaining damage from the collision.
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Additional images:
Close up of the cockpit showing ejection rails visible. It is an F-16D #92-3927 that crashed at the end of the runway at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
16th WS F-16D #92-3927 wreckage from the crash at the end of the runway at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
