May 1, 1999 (by Lieven Dewitte) -
NATO lost its second warplane in combat in five weeks of raids on Yugoslavia on Sunday but once again the pilot was picked up just hours later in a dramatic night-time rescue.
USAF F-16C block 40 #88-0550 with Aviano markings. It crashed on May 1st, 1999 during operation Allied Force.
NATO military spokesman Colonel Konrad Freytag said the U.S. F-16CG (
#88-0550) suffered engine failure as it returned from a mission over Yugoslavia and the cause was being investigated. Serbian media said the aircraft had been shot down.
The F-16 came down in Serbia 18 km (11 miles) east of the town of Kozluk on the border with Bosnia. The pilot ejected at around 2:20 a. m. (0020 GMT) and he was rescued by NATO forces two hours later.
