Pilot dies in Israeli-Made Jet ATAC F-21 Kfir crash at Fallon Naval Air Station in Nevada.

An Israeli-made military jet fighter went down Tuesday morning at Fallon Naval Air Station in northern Nevada, resulting in the fatal injury of the pilot.

Authorities say a pilot for a defense contractor is dead after an Israeli-made military fighter jet crashed at Fallon Naval Air Station in northern Nevada.

The airplane, an F-21 Kfir fighter (pictured) which was owned by defense contractor Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. based in Newport News, VA, went down just inside the west gate of the base, according to a report in the Associated Press. The weather was snowy and foggy, according to Petty Officer 1st Class Doug Harvey. Base and company officials say the F-21 Kfir (kuh-FEER) aircraft crashed just after 9:15 a.m. Tuesday inside the west gate of the military airfield, about 60 miles east of Reno.

The pilot was employed by the company, which also owned the airplane. A company official said it is still too early to tell what caused the accident. The official said the name of the pilot is being withheld pending notification of relatives.

The company provides several types of aircraft on contract to the U.S. military as surrogate enemy aircraft for training purposes.

Petty Officer 1st Class Doug Harvey says it was snowy and foggy at the time.

Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. official Matt Bannon in Newport News, Va., says it’s too early to say what caused the crash of the single-seat, single-engine aircraft. Bannon says the name of the pilot won’t be made public until his family is notified.

The aircraft is one of several types that the company provides under contract to the U.S. military.


Source: Las Vegas - 06 March 2012 - ATAC USA & Washington Post News

Photo: U.S. ATAC F-21 Kfir (Photo by www.cnic.navy.mil)


(3/7/2012)