F-16 Crashes Near Luke AFB

GLENDALE, Ariz. — An F-16 fighter jet that went down near Luke Air Force Base in suburban Phoenix most likely hit a bird before it crashed, an Air Force spokeswoman said Thursday. Two pilots who were practicing landings and takeoffs at the base Wednesday evening ejected safely and the fighter crashed in a farm field near the base. Base spokeswoman Lt. Candice Dillitte said Thursday that there’s nothing to indicate a fleet-wide problem with the jets, but the Air Force will investigate the cause. The Air Force has more than 1,000 of the single-engine fighters.