F-16 fighter jet crash may have been caused by bird, Air Force says






Tim Roberts lives near the base and says it often sounds like they are landing in his living room.

But Wednesday night was different. It was the first time he heard a 'boom.'

He said he grabbed his camera because he didn't know what it was and that's when he saw a mushroom cloud about a mile away.

"They were already down and there was a crew out that had evacuated them within minutes after they hit the ground," Roberts said.



Luke officials say it's no coincidence the base is surrounded by farmland. It's left that way on purpose, for exactly this type of situation.

"It's  kind of scary to know that things like that could happen but I guess it's just a matter of numbers," Roberts said. "It's bound to happen sooner or later."



The report said the FAA's oversight and enforcement efforts were insufficient.

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