A DASSAULT Mirage F1CR operated by military contractor Airborne Tactical Advantage Co (ATAC) crashed near Buckeye about 30 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona, at approximately 1111hrs local time during a routine training mission on February 10. The pilot ejected safely with only minor injuries and no one on the ground was hurt. He was taken to hospital to be checked over as a precaution.

The aircraft, registration number N633AX (ex-French Air Force serial number 653), was operating out of Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, supporting military flight training at the time and crashed in an unpopulated area 15 miles northwest of the base. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Brig Gen Gregory Kreuder, Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke, said: “Our Airmen and partners are our most important resource and we are committed to conducting our mission to train the world’s greatest fighter pilots as safely as possible. We are thankful for the continued outstanding support Luke receives from our community partners, especially during difficult situations like this. Finally, I’m grateful nobody was hurt on the ground and the pilot was safely recovered with only minor injuries.”

Support teams from 56th Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) fire department, 56th CES explosive ordnance disposal unit and 56th Security Forces Squadron responded to the scene with help from the Buckeye Police Department, who were also on-site.