Pilot dies after military contract aircraft crashes in Vegas
An aircraft operated by a contractor crashed after it took off from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, according to tweets from the military base's verified account.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A pilot has died after Nellis Air Force Base officials say an aircraft operated by a military contractor crashed in a nearby residential area.
A base spokesman confirmed the crash happened about 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Florida-based company Draken US owned the aircraft and said the pilot had died and no one else was on board.
It’s unclear whether anyone on the ground was hurt.
A neighbor told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he heard a loud thump as the plane crashed into a residential yard across the street, and he saw black smoke billowing from the home.
Witnesses posted online images of city and base fire crews arriving, and a helicopter circling the area.