US jet catches fire during takeoff in Iraq

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
An F-16 fighter jet was destroyed early Wednesday morning after it caught fire during takeoff in Iraq, the US military said. The military said the pilot pulled out of the planned takeoff and that the fire was extinguished next to the runway at Balad Air Base north of Baghdad. The pilot had no apparent injuries but was taken to a hospital at the air base for evaluation. The aircraft was assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. The military gave no cause for the fire and says it will investigate the incident.