F-16 Fighting Falcon News

Pilot killed as U.S. F-16 crashes in Jordan

December 1, 2014 (by Lieven Dewitte) - A U.S. Air Force pilot was killed when the F-16 he was flying suffered a mechanical malfunction and then crashed in Jordan as he attempted to return. The incident occurred at about 23.00h ET Sunday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement today.

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An RJAF F-16AM, USAF F-16C , Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet and a Mirage from the PAF fly in formation over the Dead Sea on October 27th, 2010 during Falcon Air Meet 2010 at Azraq AB. [USAF photo by TSgt. Wolfram M. Stumpf]

Even though the pilot was assigned on a combat mission to bomb ISIS targets in the Middle East, the crash itself was not combat-related and there is no evidence the jet was brought down by enemy fire.

The block 50 F-16CJ had a mechanical malfunction shortly after takeoff, and the pilot attempted to get back to an airstrip in Jordan but did not make it.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, and per military policy pilot's name has not been immediately released.

Update 02 Dec 2014The Department of Defense has confirmed that it was thirty-year-old Captain William H. Pyro Dubois who died in the crash. Captain Dubois was a native of New Castle, Colorado and assigned to the 77 FS Gamblers stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. He is survived by his wife.