After a reported crash of an F-16 fighter, with its pilot found dead after the mishap. The jet crashed on Tuesday night, said the National Guard last Thursday.
The downed airplane was discovered after searching for several days.
After a long search for Madison-based Fighting Falcon, the plane was located by search and rescue units after its unfortunate crash last Tuesday. In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Wisconsin National Guard found it Thursday, but the pilot died in the crash, reported Madison.
Sources say that the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing does not reveal the pilot's name until twenty-four hours when the family is informed. It is the protocol from the Department of Defense policy and statement from the National Guard as well.
Col. Bart Van Roo, commander of the 115th Fighter Wing, expressed his sadness at the tragic loss and sent his prayers and thoughts to the downed airman's family in such a hard time. Adding his loss is mourned by the 115th and the Wisconsin National Guard, one of the pilot's family. Another is the loss of a serviceman and patriot who risked his life in the service.
The cause of the plane's malfunction will be investigated.
Nothing was mentioned in the statement if the pilot was able to get out of the plummeting plane or not. The estimated time of the crash is at 8 p.m., on Tuesday, at the northeastern corner of the Delta county in Michigan.
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The plane crash happens during an ongoing training exercise close to Michigan's Hiawatha National Forest. Its exact area where the fighting falcon went down was close to a rural area in the Delta county. Sheriff Ed Oswald said the place is remote, and there is no mobile signal (dead spot) for mobile phones.
Soon after the fighter jet crash, the entire fighter wing with emergency responders and the US Coast Guard, including other government agencies, were involved.
Van Roo said the group of the 115this close, and losing one member to any mishap during service is sad to all unit members.
On early Friday, in the morning an update on the unfortunate accident will be released, said one representative from the national guard. The loss of any pilot or plane is serious because of the training and working hours in the exercise plane.
Truax Field is one of those military bases used from 1942 to 1968 after becoming part of Wisconsin state's Air National Guard. That is where the 115th Fighter is stationed since, with Fighting Falcons as its fighter jets.
Lt. Thomas L. Truax, a true-blue Wisconsin native, was killed when his P-40 Warhawk was involved in an accident during 1941. Risks are always a reality when flying, something that all pilots risk every time they go up.
The crash on Tuesday was on an aging F-16 fighter plane, and its pilot was aware of it. It would be the third-down in 25 years; two before had no fatalities. The old planes will soon be phased out with modern F-35 Lightning IIs (18 units) over the 21 older planes by 2023.
Related article: Pilot of Crashed F-16 in Michigan's Upper Peninsula Not Found Yet, Whereabouts Unknown
