The Prowers County Sheriff's Office said the pilot safely ejected and may have suffered, at worst, a sprained ankle.The sheriff said the pilot decided to land at the airport when an indicator light came on in the cockpit.After the pilot ejected, the plane ran off the runway and suffered some damage.
The pilot is a member of the 140th Wing, Colorado Air National Guard, based at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, the military said. The unit has served twice in Operation Iraqi Freedom.He was conducting a routine training exercise when the light came on in the cockpit indicating a fire in the aircraft's tail section. The fire was confirmed by the pilot's wingman. There was no ordnance onboard the F-16 Fighting Falcon when it crash landed.
