Military and Civilian Planes Collide

Sarasota, FL - An Air Force F-16 fighter jet collided with a small plane this afternoon and crashed in flames. One person — believed to have been aboard the Cessna — was killed, said Larry Leinhauser, a spokesman for the Manatee County Department of Public Safety. The pilot of the military jet parachuted to safety on the golf course, he said.

Parts of the small plane, a Cessna, landed on a nearby golf course. The wreckage of the military jet started a fire in a wooded area a few miles away. No injuries were reported on the ground. The accident took place about 20 miles from MacDill Air Force Base.