U.S. fighter jet crashes in Jordan, killing 1

USPA News - A U.S. Air Force pilot was killed Monday when his F-16 fighter jet crashed near a military base in Jordan, U.S. officials said, making him the third American service member to die in support of coalition operations against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The accident happened at about 6 a.m. local time on Monday (11 p.m.

ET Sunday) when the F-16 Fighting Falcon suffered an apparent technical problem shortly after taking off from a military base in Jordan, where the government is allowing coalition members to operate for their air campaign against jihadists in Iraq and Syria. "The aircraft was returning to its base in the Middle East shortly after take-off. First responders remain on the scene. The cause of the incident is under investigation," U.S. Central Command said in a brief statement. The military declined to confirm that the crash took place in Jordan, citing host nation sensitivities, but a source confirmed that the crash occurred in the Arab kingdom. The identity of the pilot, who was killed in the crash, was not immediately released. Monday`s fatality raises to three the number of American service members who have died in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, though none of them have died as a result of enemy action. The first casualty, 21-year-old Cpl. Jordan Spears, of Indiana, was killed on October 1 when the aircraft he was on suffered an accident in the Persian Gulf.