March 14, 2008 (by Jon Somerville) - An F-16C from 62nd FS based at Luke AFB was lost at 12.00h local time just south of Alamo Lake, about 50 miles northwest of Wickenburg. The pilot is reported as missing.

F-16C #84-1273 lost today March 14, 2008
The F-16C is believed to be #84-1273.

At the time of the loss the pilot who has not been named was on an air-to-air student training mission said Mary Jo May, a Luke spokeswoman.

"The status of the pilot is unknown," May said, adding that further details about the crash were not immediately available.

Rescue teams are using a helicopter and all-terrain vehicles to scour the rugged area about 80 miles northwest of Phoenix in an effort to find the wreckage and the pilot.

A board of enquiry will be convened to investigate the accident.

62nd FS flies the block 25 variant of the F-16. The last crash from Luke occurred back on December 4, 2006, on a training mission about 85 miles south of the base. Two crew members of an F-16D, also assigned to the same squadron, ejected safely.