The US military is investigating the possibility that an American Patriot missile might have shot down a US Navy F/A-18C fighter jet over Iraq, US defence officials said today.
"We're investigating all possibilities," said one US official at the Pentagon when asked about reports that a Patriot anti-aircraft missile may have struck the Navy jet yesterday while the Patriot was trying to intercept two Iraqi missiles.
US forces are still searching for the F/A-18 and the pilot, who officials said ejected in the area near Karbala.
The defense officials, who asked not to be identified, cautioned that no conclusions had been reached in the incident, which could become the second "friendly-fire" downing of a Western jet in the 2-week-old war.
The single-seat Hornet jet fighter was based aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk in the Gulf, one of a half-dozen American carriers there.
A British Tornado jet was earlier downed by a Patriot, killing both crewmen aboard.
The military was also investigating the crash of a US UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter late last night over Iraq. Officials originally said the helicopter, carrying at least six troops, was apparently downed by Iraqi small arms fire.
But they said later there was no evidence it was shot down.
