# U.S. F-16 crashes in Iraq



## v2 (Jul 16, 2007)

( Sun Jul 15) F-16 warplane crashed during takeoff at a base north of Baghdad on Sunday, but the pilot was uninjured, the military said. 
The cause of the accident is under investigation, the military said in a statement.
The Air Force plane was taking off for a combat mission, to provide air support to troops on the ground fighting militiants, when it crashed at Balad Air Base, 50 miles north of Baghdad, it said.
The pilot of the single-seat aircraft ejected safely and was taken to be evaulated by doctors, it said.


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (Jul 16, 2007)

I hope a video comes out.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 16, 2007)

North of Baghdad sounds like Balad.

Nasty place. Flew missions into Balad daily when I was in Iraq. The enemy pretty much waits for planes to take off out of there.


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## mkloby (Jul 16, 2007)

Soundbreaker Welch? said:


> I hope a video comes out.



Why would you hope a video comes out? That seems an odd comment to make. Do you hope videos come out when you hear a helo goes down so you can watch that too? These are your fellow countrymen's lives - it's not a movie.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 18, 2007)

I was just thinking the same thing.


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (Jul 18, 2007)

> Why would you hope a video comes out?



For documentation reasons I suppose, not just because I'm happy to see a plane crash. Do you guys wish aircraft crashes were not posted on websites? They get posted on here. 

In a WWII documentary about the P-51, there is a video of two P-51's colliding. Terrible to see, but at the same time WWII feels more real to future generations because of all the footage we have of it still. 

Achicourt, Trafalgar,the Crusades, ect, It would be exciting if there was footage of them. But the downside is, it would lose our sense of time in a way, and all history can be found in books I suppose.


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## JF3D (Jul 20, 2007)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> North of Baghdad sounds like Balad.
> 
> Nasty place. Flew missions into Balad daily when I was in Iraq. The enemy pretty much waits for planes to take off out of there.





The bad guy's used to throw some mortar rounds right around daylight to screw up flight ops. Got so they would fly earlier just to get the jump on the bad guys. Predator was on station and caught a couple of them digging in a 82MM down by the river. IIRC there was footage of it as the Predator lased the location and they dropped a 500 PDR on them. A Patrol went out to pick up the pieces.


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (Jul 20, 2007)

Impossible to know for certain, but I wonder how many terrorists have been killed in Iraq since 2003?


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## ToughOmbre (Jul 20, 2007)

Soundbreaker Welch? said:


> Impossible to know for certain, but I wonder how many terrorists have been killed in Iraq since 2003?



Hopefully many! Only good one is a dead one.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 21, 2007)

JF3D said:


> The bad guy's used to throw some mortar rounds right around daylight to screw up flight ops. Got so they would fly earlier just to get the jump on the bad guys. Predator was on station and caught a couple of them digging in a 82MM down by the river. IIRC there was footage of it as the Predator lased the location and they dropped a 500 PDR on them. A Patrol went out to pick up the pieces.



When were you in Balad? I was in Tikrit but I would fly missions into Balad every damn day. I hated that place. Our aircraft got peppered with shrap from a rocket that landed near it on the fingers.


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (Jul 23, 2007)

Could you see the rockets coming, or suddenly would you just feel an explosion?


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 24, 2007)

No you can not see the rockets or morters coming but you can hear them coming in and then there is the loud boom and shaking earth.


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## T4.H (Jul 25, 2007)

Be happy, that you are still alive and unhurt.
And that the rest of your crew is still alive!


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## JF3D (Jul 31, 2007)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> When were you in Balad? I was in Tikrit but I would fly missions into Balad every damn day. I hated that place. Our aircraft got peppered with shrap from a rocket that landed near it on the fingers.



My higher headquarters was there. I was there for a couple of days until they threw us on a 47 heading for the hills. Stayed out about 6 months until my midtour and then came back through middle of march of 06. Asked if they had been hit lately and was told it had been quiet for a couple for weeks. That night We were shelled all night long and didn't get the all clear until about 0630. I wouldn't even roll over in the rack by the end of the night. Did my midtour in England and then spent two weeks waiting for an assignment. Got sent to Mosul end of April 06 and was there until I Deros'd back to Campbell in Oct. Would you believe I miss it.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 31, 2007)

I would not miss any place in Iraq, ever!


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## JF3D (Jul 31, 2007)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> I would not miss any place in Iraq, ever!



Yeah, I've been told I'm nuts.


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