Officials: Pilot Of Downed F-16 Still Missing In Iraq

[Birdman]

Officials: Pilot Of Downed F-16 Still Missing In Iraq



The whereabouts and condition of a US Air Force pilot whose F-16 crashed outside Baghdad Monday are still unknown, according to military sources.

The F-16CG fighter, flying for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing out of Balad Air Base, crashed Monday afternoon approximately 20 miles northwest of Baghdad, in an area near Fallujah officials say was teeming with insurgent activity. The plane was engaged in low-level strafing runs to support troops on the ground when it went down for as-yet unknown reasons.

The Air Force has convened an investigative board to look into the crash. Officials would not comment on the possibility the fighter was shot down. The unnamed pilot has been classified as "duty status and whereabouts unknown," said Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, at a Tuesday news conference in Baghdad.

 

[joboy_2.0]

Terrible news. out of curiosity, how many MIA/KIA pilots have we had this war?

 

[TuxFlier]

one aircraft that I know of - July 2003... F-15E shot down. Pilot and WSO both KIA.

 

[TuxFlier]

sorry... actually was in April 2003 near Tikrit

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Scott Speicher is still missing/captured... was he still alive when we invaded??

 

[Brett327]

Scott Speicher is still missing/captured... was he still alive when we invaded??

With all due respect to his family, sometimes wishful thinking stands in the way of closure.

Brett

 

[Amy C]

Scott Speicher is still MIA...but he didn't go MIA in OEF it was Desert Storm (he's been missing 14 years)

 

[Flash]

With all due respect to his family, sometimes wishful thinking stands in the way of closure.

Brett

Agree. I heard his widow/wife married the CACO officer.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Scott Speicher is still MIA...but he didn't go MIA in OEF it was Desert Storm (he's been missing 14 years)

Well I sure hope he didn't go MIA in OEF... given that took place in Afghanistan in 2001.

So Brett, what's your theory on Speicher? I mean, there's no doubt he's dead, but it's highly probable the Iraqis captured him at some point. Is it that hard to believe they held onto him for some time and then dumped him in a shallow grave?

 

[MasterBates]

Not sure if it was the CACO, but it was another pilot from Cecil.

 

[Coota0]

Terrible news. out of curiosity, how many MIA/KIA pilots have we had this war?

Didn't the Army lose a couple of Apache crews?
There was the CH-47 in Afghanistan or were you only reffering to Iraq?

 

[Amy C]

I don't know if was CACO...but it was his very close friend (from what I can remember seeing/hearing in news stories). I am a Jacksonville Native...he graduated high school with my parents. His wife married his best friend this was prior to his status being chaged.

If you are interested...

http://www.freescottspeicher.org/

I think a lot of people in Jacksonville are holding on to the little bit of hope that he may be alive...

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Yeah, but we never found him, so that means he never existed... just like those pesky WMDs

<stirring the pot just a litttle bit more>

 

[IRfly]

Why, on that website, do they refer to him as "Capt. Speicher?"

 

[TurnandBurn55]

Because you're automatically promoted as a POW/MIA