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F-16 from Utah crashes in Afghanistan; pilot OK

In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, an F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, as the U.S. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015, launched its first airstrikes by Turkey-based F-16 fighter jets against Islamic State targets in Syria, marking a limited escalation of a yearlong air campaign that critics have called excessively cautious. (Krystal Ardrey/U.S. Air Force via AP))

Washington • U.S. military spokesman say an F-16 fighter jet from Hill Air Force base in Utah crashed Tuesday in Afghanistan.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the pilot safely ejected and was being evaluated by medical personnel. Cook said the jet crashed during takeoff about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bagram Airfield outside Kabul.

Air Force Capt. Bryan L. Bouchard, a spokesman at Bagram, later confirmed the pilot and aircraft are from the 388th Fighter Wing's 421st Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base.

Neither Bouchard nor the Pentagon disclosed the cause of the crash, though Bouchard in an email to The Salt Lake Tribune said it was not caused by hostile fire.

Coalition forces recovered the pilot and secured the crash site. Bouchard said the pilot was back at Bagram on Tuesday night.

The U.S. military has relied upon F-16s from Hill and other bases to provide air reconnaissance and firepower for ground forces in Afghanistan 24 hours a day. The 421st specializes in nighttime flying and equips pilots with night vision goggles and other equipment to find friendly and hostile forces in the dark.

Hill units are transitioning from the F-16 to the F-35 in the coming years.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune A F-16 flies above Hill Air Force Base Wednesday September 2, 2015.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune A F-16 flies above Hill Air Force Base Wednesday September 2, 2015.

By Staff and Wire Reports