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Shaw Air Force Base crash: Pilot killed in South Carolina

US Air Force officials said a routine training mission had taken place before the incident

Gino Spocchia
Wednesday 01 July 2020 15:25 BST
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(@A7_Mirza / Twitter)

A US military pilot has been killed during a crash at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

US Air Force officials said on Wednesday night that the F-16 fighter jet pilot was later pronounced dead, and that no other persons had been onboard.

The pilot, who has not been named, had been on a routine training mission when the F-16CM Fighting Falcon jet crashed, according to base commander Larry Sullivan.

In a statement on the base’s Facebook page, Mr Sullivan said the pilot's family was still in the process of being informed on Wednesday night.

“We ask for your patience and to avoid speculation until we release more information,” he added.

South Carolina-based news outlet WLTX said the pilot had been transported to hospital sometime after 11.30pm.

The outlet also reported several emergency services vehicles had attended the incident.

Video posted online showed the plane alight on the tarmac at Shaw Air Force Base, where the pilot had been assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing

An investigation into the crash in South Carolina continues.

It also becomes the second fatal incident involving US Air Force personnel in the last month, after an American pilot was killed in a crash off the UK coast in June.

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