Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Pilot ejects from Arizona-based fighter jet south of Las Vegas

A pilot was in good condition after ejecting from an F-16 fighter jet while attempting to land this morning in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., about 150 miles south of Las Vegas, according to officials at Luke Air Force Base.

The pilot of the jet, assigned to the Arizona base, was on a training flight when he diverted about 10:30 a.m. to Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport following an unspecified issue, officials said.

The pilot, who was not identified, was hospitalized but was OK, officials said.

The incident comes on the heels of an F-16 crash earlier this month at the Nevada Test and Training Range northwest of Las Vegas that killed Air Force Thunderbirds pilot Maj. Stephen Del Bagno.

Del Bagno, based out of Nellis Air Force Base near North Las Vegas, was conducting a training flight April 4 when his aircraft went down, officials said.