A U.S.-made fighter jet crashed in northern Israel during a rare snow storm Monday after the pilot parachuted to safety, the military said. No injuries were reported.
The aircraft was a $50 million F-16, the military said.
The pilot was found by ground troops shortly after the plane went down northwest of the West Bank, about six miles from the Palestinian town of Jenin, the Haaretz daily said on its Web site.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. It was not immediately clear if the weather was a factor.
A military statement said the plane developed technical problems as it was preparing to land after a routine exercise. Air force commander Maj. Gen. Dan Halutz ordered an investigation.
In another incident, south of Tel Aviv, an army transport helicopter was slightly damaged in an emergency landing, the military said. The pilot of the Bell 206 Jet Ranger was not harmed.
F-16s have been the backbone of the Israeli air force since 1980.
Five of Israel’s F-16s have crashed since September 1997, not counting Monday’s incident. In March 2000, an F-16 went down over the Mediterranean, killing the pilot and the navigator, Maj. Yonatan Begin, the grandson of late Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. No airmen were hurt in the other crashes.
Source: AP
—
Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News
Sign In
February 24, 2003 at 2:30 pm