Three U.S. F-16s Crash in Germany; One Pilot Killed
BODENHEIM, West Germany — Two U.S. Air Force F-16 Falcon jet fighters collided in midair Wednesday and exploded, an Air Force spokeswoman said. The accident occurred less than two hours after another F-16 crashed into the Black Forest, 90 miles away.
West German police said one pilot was killed in the collision, while the other ejected and was injured. The dead pilot was identified by the U.S. military as Capt. Michael Crandall, and the injured pilot as Capt Robert McCormack.
The Air Force said the F-16s, assigned to the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hahn Air Base, were on a training mission when they crashed near Bodenheim, about 6 miles south of the central city of Mainz.
An Air Force spokesman said the pilot in the Black Forest crash ejected safely.
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