F-16 Fighting Falcon News

February 2, 1999 (by Lieven Dewitte) - A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed in the Arizona desert on Wednesday, and the student pilot survived by parachuting to safety. Student pilot First Lt. Esther Obert ejected from her F-16 as it plummeted to the desert in southwestern Arizona. She parachuted to safety on the sprawling Barry M. Goldwater Range near Gila Bend, Ariz.
The pilot was flying in a three-plane formation during a routine training mission and had radioed her instructor, flying in another F-16, that she was having problems. Luke Air Force base flies between 160 and 200 sorties a day. No one on the ground was hurt in Wednesday's incident and no other aircraft were involved. There was no live ammunition or any bombs aboard the $20 million fighter jet. Base officials were on the scene trying to determine what caused the crash. The 2.7 million-acre practice range is about 60 miles (96 km)southwest of Phoenix.