Second Fighter In Two Days Crashes In Utah

An F-16C crashed during a training mission Thursday at the Utah Test and Training Range, the second time in two days that a fighter jet has gone down in the remote area.

The pilot ejected. It was unknown if the pilot suffered any injuries. A Utah Army National Guard helicopter was en route Thursday evening to retrieve the pilot, said Bruce Collins, spokesman for the 388th Fighter Wing.

The plane crashed near the Utah-Nevada border.

On Wednesday, an identical plane crashed into the testing range after it collided in midair with another F-16C on a training run. One pilot ejected and wasn’t seriously hurt. The other was able to land.

Wednesday’s crash occurred during a six-plane intercept mission, in which four F-16s are considered the “good guys” and two other planes attempt to intercept them.

Collins said Thursday’s crash occurred during a different type of mission, but he had no details on its purpose or the number of planes involved.