NATO: UAE F-16 crashes at Italian airbase

[SpArK]

NATO: UAE F-16 crashes at Italian airbase​

Posted : Wednesday Apr 27, 2011 12:36:14 EDT
BRUSSELS — An F-16 fighter-bomber from the United Arab Emirates crashed on landing Wednesday at an air base in southern Italy after completing a transfer flight from another base, officials said.

He said the pilot ejected safely after landing on the outbound runway at the air base at Sigonella in western Sicily at 11:35 a.m.

The official, who could not be named in line with standing regulations, said the warplane had just arrived from an air base in Sardinia.

Sigonella is located about 360 miles north of Libya’s capital, Tripoli. It has been used extensively by aircraft from several NATO nations for bombing missions over Libya. Non-NATO nations participating in the operation, including Sweden and the United Arab Emirates, also use it.

Italian police have opened a probe into the crash landing, NATO said in a statement.

The alliance declined to reveal which country the F-16 belonged to, but the General Command of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces confirmed that one of its planes had veered off the runway, forcing the pilot to eject.

The military’s statement was issued through the Emirates official state news agency, WAM. The military said the incident occurred because of bad weather and said the plane had sustained minor structural damage. It didn’t provide further details.

The UAE agreed in late March to deploy 12 planes — six F-16s and six Mirage fighters — to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, becoming the second Arab country after Qatar to contribute aircraft to the effort.

No NATO aircraft had been lost since the alliance’s missions over Libya started March 31. A U.S. F-15 crashed in Libya before NATO took over command of the strike missions.

The alliance has conducted almost 4,000 sorties in the past four weeks. More than 1,600 of those have been strike sorties.

NATO: UAE F-16 crashes at Italian airbase - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

 

[Machoman]

It must be block 52+ that sucks

 

[Jigs]

It must be block 52+ that sucks

Block 60. Those are the only variants they operate.

 

[AUz]

F-16 E/F block 60 crashed ? That really sucks man !

 

[below_freezing]

big toys for immature boys. when will the kings and dictators of the middle east realize that no matter how many shiny planes they buy, their standing in the world's eyes are at the level of zimbabwe?

 

[Frankenstein]

they really diss the f16

 

[razgriz19]

well it wasn't totally destroyed, so it can be fixed...

 

[Luftwaffe]

O com'on don't diss Zimbabwean Air Force/pilots.

 

[Vassnti]

F-16 E/F block 60 crashed ? That really sucks man !

Note ran off the runway rather than crashed, blown tyre or perhaps a UAE pilot had never seen grass beside a runway and thought the green bit was a concrete taxiway

 

[Pak_Sher]

F-16 is still the one of the best fighter aircraft in the world.

 

[red_baron]

kill switch, whatelse????

 

[Guest01]

big toys for immature boys. when will the kings and dictators of the middle east realize that no matter how many shiny planes they buy, their standing in the world's eyes are at the level of zimbabwe?

Maybe it is only for China that they think of the middle east as Zimbawe(s). misplaced geography maybe or because of their zimbawe(s) like countries centric foreign policy. for the rest of the world, the middle east is a region of great economic and strategic importance. or may be the spew is because they do not give a heed to the great chinese hegemony and then the only friends of choice that are left are zimbawe, sudan and somalias of the world.

 

[Zarvan]

I have heard that most UAE fighter pilots are basically Pakistanis and also that Pakistan train their airforce am i right?

 

[REEVER]

Not to stray off topic but the F 16 is the ugliest jet out or is it just me

 

[JonAsad]

^^ you are ugly -