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Last updated: Thursday 22 June 2000 NATIONAL NEWS

U.S. fighter jet crashes at base in northern Alberta

COLD LAKE, Alta. (CP) - An American pilot received only minor injuries after he ejected from his fighter plane just before it crashed Wednesday afternoon during a military exercise in northeastern Alberta.

Capt. Rico Pietrykowski, 28, from Hill Air Force Base in Utah, ejected safely from the U.S. Air Force F-16 Falcon about 2 p.m. He was taken to Cold Lake regional hospital, said Capt. Leah Wilson, a spokeswoman for Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake. "He was fine," Wilson said. "He was walking around at the crash site."

She said the plane was taking part in Exercise Maple Flag, an international air combat exercise. The cause of the crash was not known.

"He was flying a surface attack during the exercise," Wilson said. "That would be like a bombing mission."

Other American jet fighters taking part in Maple Flag will be grounded until officials determine what caused the crash, said Col. Andy Hewitt, the U.S. Deployed Forces Commander.

They want to find out if any contaminated fuel or hydraulic fluid caused it, Hewitt said.

Pietrykowski ejected over boggy ground on the Cold Lake air weapons range.

One of his wingmen alerted the base that he and the aircraft were in trouble, Hewitt said.

"We know there were no radio transmissions (from Pietrykowski) prior to his ejection," he added.

Search and rescue crews went to the scene immediately and found him.

American investigators will probe the cause of the crash, assisted by Canadian military.

All flying operations at the base were stopped as a precautionary measure so rescue crews could secure the crash site, Wilson said.

It should be known Thursday whether Maple Flag will continue. The military exercise began May 15 and was scheduled to run until Friday.

Participants from the U.S., Canada, Britain and Germany were still at the base when the crash occurred. Other countries that took part but had earlier left the base were the Netherlands, Singapore, New Zealand and Sweden.

Pietrykowski began flying F-16s in November 1998, said Capt. Erin Shuler, spokesman for the 388 Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

He has received the Air Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal and has logged 100 hours of combat time, Shuler said.

The F-16, worth more than $20 million US and capable of flying twice the speed of sound, is one of the world's most important fighter planes.

(Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun)

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), June 22, 2000