A Mirage F1 aircraft owned by Draken International crashed just outside Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, Nevada shortly after takeoff. The pilot was killed.
The aircraft N575EM used to be operated by the Ejército del Aire (EdA, Spanish Air Force) with serial C.14-72 crashed in the accident that took place at approximately 14:30 LT on Monday, May 24, 2021.
An investigation into the cause of the accident has started.
Draken International is contracted by the US Air Force to provide adversary air support and operates a number of aircraft out of Nellis AFB.
As of 2020, Draken is reported to be operating (at least) 22 French-built Mirage F1s, including 21 single-engine, single-seat F1M aircraft, and a single Mirage F1BM two-seat variant. The aircraft were purchased mostly from the Spanish Air Force.
