Arizona F-16 Fighter Jet Crash: Iraqi Pilot Identified
The fighter jet crashed during a training mission on Wednesday.
— -- The Iraqi pilot who was killed when his F-16 fighter jet crashed in Arizona during a night time training mission Wednesday has been identified as Brigadier General Rasid Mohammed Sadiq, a U.S. official said today.
"Today is a is a sad day for this brave hero’s family, his colleagues and friends, the Iraqi people, and their American allies," U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones said in a statement.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed during a training mission at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday near Douglas, Arizona, with one person on board, according the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, authorities said.
The Iraqi military purchased 36 F-16's from the U.S., a number of which Iraqi pilot are being trained on in Arizona, officials said. None of the aircraft have been delivered to Iraq yet, but the first shipment is expected this summer.