Mystery surrounds F-16, pilot in Iraq crash

Officials say jet belongs to New Mexico-based fighter wing, but all its pilots are accounted for.

The pilot of an F-16 that crashed Monday in Iraq’s Anbar province is officially listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown, as defense officials confirmed that the plane — though not the pilot — was assigned to a squadron deployed to Iraq from New Mexico.

Pentagon officials have not confirmed broadcast reports and video and still images apparently showing the pilot’s body and parachute on the ground. The pilot’s body was apparently removed before U.S. forces arrived on the scene after the crash, officials said Tuesday.

Air Force officials at Central Command said they had seen a video from Al-Jazeera showing what was “purported to be the pilot’s body,” but the military said they could not authenticate or validate the footage.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that videotape footage obtained by AP Television News appears to show the wreckage of a U.S. single-seat F-16CG jet in the farm field where it crashed Monday and the remains of an American serviceman with a tangled parachute nearby.

At a Pentagon press briefing Tuesday morning in Arlington, Va., spokesman Bryan Whitman offered no new details of the crash or the status of the pilot. Late Monday, a spokeswoman from Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, confirmed that the downed aircraft belonged to the 524th Fighter Squadron, 27th Fighter Wing, part of which is deployed to Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad.

It was unclear how often or why a pilot from another squadron would be flying an aircraft assigned to that wing, officials said.

Late Tuesday, a pair of insurgent groups in Iraq — the Mujahideen Army and the Mujahideen Shura Council — issued a joint statement claiming they had shot down the aircraft.

Earlier, the top military spokesman in Baghdad said it was unlikely that the plane had been shot down, citing the speed at which the jet normally operates and the lack so far of insurgent weapons capable of hitting a fighter jet.

The jet went down around 1:30 p.m. Monday in an empty field north of Fallujah. The Associated Press quoted one witness, who was interviewed by phone, as saying the plane had been flying erratically before it nose-dived into the field.

U.S. officials said other aircraft circled above the downed F-16 and observed insurgents move in on the crash site.

Reporters Jeff Schogol and Lisa Burgess contributed to this report from the Pentagon.

11/30/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Department of Defense officials announced today the identity of an Airman listed as duty status - whereabouts unknown.

Maj. Troy L. Gilbert was the pilot of an Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon engaged in support of coalition ground combat operations that crashed approximately 20 miles northwest of Baghdad Nov. 27.

Major Gilbert is assigned to the 309th Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. and currently deployed to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad Air Base, Iraq.

An investigation is ongoing.

I just got a message that my cousin, a F16 pilot and Major at Luke AFB, was friends with Troy Gilbert. One of Troy's sons was born the same week as my cousin's son. Troy had five kids. Please pray for my cousin and the others who knew Troy because they are grieving now.

Last summer my cousin told me that if he ever got shot down, he would make sure that he wouldn't be in a place where the enemy might be able to torture him. He would simply fight back until they killed him.

I wonder if Troy had to do that?

Does any one know more about this case?

I found this on a Luke AFB news page.

FAMILY STATEMENT

The following is a statement from the Gilbert family to the Phoenix, West Valley community.

"Troy was first and foremost a wonderful husband and father. His Christian faith, personal values, and work ethic guided his personal life and his career as a military officer. He was highly respected by and deeply loved by so many. At the time of the tragedy during combat operations, he was unselfishly protecting the lives of other American military members. We, his family, cherish the worldwide prayers and support during this extremely difficult time."

TRUST FUND FOR GILBERTS ESTABLISHED

For members of the public interested in assisting the Gilbert family, Fighter Country Partnership, a community support organization for the men and women of Luke Air Force Base, has established a sub account under the 5013C Foundation for the Gilbert Family.

The title of this account is "The Gilbert Family." Interested members of the public may write a check to "The Gilbert Family" and drop the check off at any Credit Union West Branch or they can mail the check to Fighter Country Partnership at 500 North Estrella (estraya) Parkway, Suite B-2, PMB #479, Goodyear, Arizona, 85338. Fighter Country Partnership emphasizes that this may be a tax deductible donation. For more information, contact Steve Yamamori, FCP executive director, at (602) 369-3531.

For any member of the public using a financial institution outside Arizona, you can ask the financial institution for assistance in electronically wiring the funds directly to the Gilbert family account. For information on electronic wiring, financial institutions can contact Robin Reed at Credit Union West at (602) 631-3218 for more information, to include routing/account information.

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