F-16 Fighting Falcon News

March 14, 2008 (by Jon Somerville) - An F-16C from 62nd FS based at Luke AFB was lost at 12.17h local time just south of Alamo Lake, about 50 miles northwest of Wickenburg. Sadly the pilot is reported dead.
The F-16C that crashed is believed to be #84-1273.

At the time of the loss the pilot who had not been named was on a two ship air-to-air student training mission said Mary Jo May, a Luke spokeswoman.

Rescue teams used Blackhawk helicopters and all-terrain vehicles to scour the rugged area about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix in the effort to find the wreckage and the pilot.

A board of enquiry will be convened to investigate the accident.

Later news from the State Adjutant Generals office officially released the name of the lost pilot. Second Lieutenant David J. Mitchell of Toledo, Ohio a member of the 180th Fighter Wing was temporarily assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron, as part of his Basic Qualification Course within the Initial Pilot Training program.

62nd FS flies the block 25 variant of the F-16. The last crash from Luke occurred back on December 4, 2006, on a training mission about 85 miles south of the base. Two crew members of an F-16D, assigned to the same squadron, ejected safely.


This news article will be updated as new developments arise.