---
title: "Iraqi Pilot Killed In Arizona F-16 Fighting Falcon Crash"
date: "2017-09-06"
modified: "2017-09-06"
authors:
  - name: "James Clark"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/iraqi-pilot-killed-arizona-f-16-crash/"
categories:
  - "Air Force"
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Fighter Aircraft"
  - "Iraq"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "News"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
tags:
  - "central command"
  - "Crash"
  - "Northern Command"
---

# Iraqi Pilot Killed In Arizona F-16 Fighting Falcon Crash

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/19042546-5.jpg>)

An Iraqi pilot who was conducting training operations with the Air National Guard’s 162nd Air Wing was killed when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed in southwest Arizona around 3 p.m. on Sept. 5, according to the unit's [official Twitter account](<https://twitter.com/162ndFW/status/905212549414625280>).

https://twitter.com/162ndFW/status/905212549414625280

The multirole fighter crashed about 20 miles northwest of Safford and 165 miles southeast of Phoenix, 1st Lt. Lacey Roberts [told the Tucson Sentinel](<https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/090517_f-16_crash/sheriff-pilot-killed-when-tucson-based-f-16-crashes-near-safford/>). An interim safety board was set up by the Air Force to investigate the crash, and the pilot’s death was confirmed by the 162nd’s official Twitter account on Sept. 6:

https://twitter.com/162ndFW/status/905408210932178944

The 162nd Wing is based at Tucson International Airport, and functions as the Guard’s leading F-16 pilot training site, CBS News [reports](<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/f16-crash-accident-arizona-safford-air-national-guard-162nd-wing/>). The 162nd Wing currently conducts exercises with six partner nations; [according to](<https://abcnews.go.com/US/arizona-national-guard-16-crashes-status-pilot-unknown/story?id=49640371>) ABC News, the Iraqi pilot was assigned to the162nd as part of that training mission.

Related: The Military Has A Flight-Readiness Problem That’s Not Going Away »

The incident is the second involving an F-16 Fighting Falcon in the 162nd Wing and the the third F-16 crash in Arizona in the last two years. In June 2015, an Iraqi pilot was killed when his F-16 crashed near Douglas, Arizona during a training mission with the 162nd Wing, [reports the Tucson Sentinel.](<https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/062615_air_force_crash/officials-iraqi-pilot-killed-douglas-f-16-crash/>) In January 2016, a Taiwanese pilot was killed when his F-16 went down near Bagdad, Arizona, according to the [Sentinel](<https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/090517_f-16_crash/sheriff-pilot-killed-when-tucson-based-f-16-crashes-near-safford/>).

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## Author
James Clark is the editor-in-chief of Task & Purpose. He is a former Marine and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/JamesWClark>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jclarkjournalism/>)