NICEVILLE, Fla. — A dropped fuel tank from an F-16 aircraft has been safely removed from a Niceville neighborhood, Eglin Air Force Base (EAFB) officials said.
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According to EAFB, the 300-gallon tank fell from a 96th Test Wing F-16 Fighting Falcon on Jan. 7, landing near Nathey Avenue and Monette Street. The incident caused no injuries or fatalities, and no property damage was initially reported.
Eglin’s 96th Civil Engineer Group Spill Response team is leading ongoing clean-up efforts in the affected area.
“Our environmental management team is working diligently to clean up the affected areas,” said Col. Michelle Sterling, 96th CEG commander.
“We are communicating our efforts with the homeowners and want to assure the community we are engaged in clean-up procedures.”
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As part of the investigation, Eglin personnel deployed a drone to survey the impact zone on Jan. 8. Officials confirmed the fuel tank’s safe removal on the same day.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation by the Air Force Safety Investigation Board. Clean-up operations are expected to continue for several weeks.
