Air National Guard F-16 crashes in Arizona, condition of pilot unknown

 

An F-16 from the 162nd Wing of the Air National Guard crashed in Arizona sparking a massive fire, the wing said in a statement Wednesday night.

The jet was on a night training mission during the time of the incident, the statement said. The status of the plane’s pilot is still unknown.

The crash occurred around 8 p.m. near Leslie Canyon, sparking a huge fire, the Tucson News Now reported. A large number of emergency personnel had responded to the scene, but some firefighters were held back because of the presence of gas liens around the area, the station reported.

A witness told the station that he saw fireball explosions that lit up the night sky like daylight. (FN)