Jet Drops Bomb At Utah Air Force Base Before Emergency Landing

October 23, 2009 9:57 a.m. EST

Ogden, UT (AHN) - A military jet was forced to drop its fuel tanks and two unarmed bombs during a routine flight late Thursday, causing an explosion in a remote part of the Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

According to the Standard-Examiner, problems upon take-off forced an F-16 pilot to follow emergency landing procedures. No one was injured and the pilot safely maneuvered the aircraft back to the ground, but an explosion caused a power outage in the base.

ABC 4 reports that the pilot jettisoned two external fuel tanks and two 500-pound bombs before landing, following protocol under such situations. The munitions were released in an uninhabited area of the base, but one of them exploded and destroyed a shed.

The Explosive Ordinance Disposal at the base is working to recover the other bomb.