Sources report that Brig. Gen. Rafid Mohammed Hassan, an Iraqi pilot who had been training in the United States for four years, was killed when his F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft crashed in southern Arizona.
The F-16 crashed about 8 p.m. Wednesday in the area off of Leslie Canyon and Calle Alta Vista, approximately five miles away from the Douglas airport. The pilot was conducting night training mission.
Arizona Air National Guard spokeswoman 2nd Lt. Lacey Roberts said that Hassan was enrolled in the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing. The Wing trains pilots from the Netherlands, Iraq, Poland, Norway, Singapore, Denmark, Oman, and Belgium. The U.S. Air Force is training Iraqi pilots in F16 flight at the request of the Iraqi Government. They will be the first Iraqi pilots to use Iraq’s F16s in the fight against ISIL.
“The Government of Iraq has purchased 36 F16 aircraft. After delays due to the deteriorating security situation last summer, we are working with the Government of Iraq to deliver the initial tranche of F16 aircraft to Iraq at some point this summer,” according to the United States Air Force.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Brigadier General Rafid Mohammed Hassan and all those impacted by this tragedy. As one of the many brave pilots training to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing in Tucson, Brig. Gen. Hassan will be remembered by his commitment to the defense of Iraq and its people,” stated Sen. John McCain.
There was no ordnance onboard the aircraft.
There were two aircraft conducting the training mission, only one aircraft was involved in the accident.