1 killed, 1 injured in training at New Mexico base

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. – A civilian contractor was killed and an Air Force service member injured in a training accident on a military range in southern New Mexico, officials said Wednesday.

The Tuesday night accident at Holloman Air Force Base involved members of a control party on the ground who were struck as two F-16 jets used unspecified air-to-ground munitions at a range that’s part of the White Sands Missile Range complex, base officials said in a statement.

The control party provides guidance to military aircraft, including fighters attacking ground targets.

The statement said the injured service member was released from a hospital after treatment for unspecified injuries.

The identities of those involved were not immediately released, but the Air Force said the service member who was injured was assigned to the 7th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Bliss, Texas. An investigation is ongoing.

It was not immediately known what type of munitions was involved.

The F-16 is a multi-role fighter that can drop bombs, fire missiles and shoot cannon shells in aerial combat and attacking ground targets.

The statement says the aircrafts are based at Holloman but belong to the 54th Fighter Group headquartered at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona.