Posted on 06/27/2015 5:51:12 AM PDT by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA — The body of an Iraqi student pilot killed when his F-16 crashed north of Douglas on Wednesday has been recovered.
American military officials had been searching for the body of the pilot since the crash. He has been identified as Brig. Gen. Rasid Mohammed Sadeeq by Iraq’s Defense Ministry, according to the Associated Press.
On Thursday, a defense ministry official provided a different name for the killed pilot, identifying him as Brig. Gen. Rafid Mohammed Hassan. The ministry on Friday had no explanation for the conflicting identities, the AP reported.
Residents near the site of the crash reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing the fiery result of the crash at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
A large perimeter around the ensuing fire was created by multiple local fire agencies in the hours after the incident until military officials from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca arrived on the scene.
The pilot had been operating one of two aircraft participating in a nighttime training mission with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing.
Located about five miles east of the Douglas Municipal Airport, access to the crash site was hindered by hazardous materials for at least a full day after the crash, according to Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels.
Sadeeq was flying one 36 F-16 Fighting Falcons purchased by the Iraqi government, which, along with their American-trained pilots, will be used to combat the Islamic State terrorist group in the region.
Or not.
When I first read the report...being the born skeptic, I wrote....pondering...
General? Student pilot?
That doesn’t add up. How old was this guy anyway?
“General? Student pilot?”
Probably trained on the old Russian crap and wanted to get some stick time on something sleek and shiny.
Looks like he needed some more remedial training in night ops.
Will Iraq pay for the crashed F-16?
Oh I now I see it belonged to Iraq.
ISIS has been providing many open slots for promotion.
He may have just been out of ROTC?
Thank 0bama for this mess.
Easy. One is his real name and the other his jihadi name.
A brigadier general as a student pilot?
This might partially explain the hazmat precautions at the crash site.
IIRC, the F-16 is equipped with a small tank containing hydrazine - a hazardous chemical/fuel. The hydrazine is used to power an EPU (emergency power unit).
'The good news is that Skydrol, the synthetic replacement for hydraulic fluid, is much less flammable than hydraulic oil.
The bad news: it's carcinogenic. Thus: HAZMAT.
“A brigadier general as a student pilot?”
It’s like American corporations where everyone is a Vice President, everyone there is a General.
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