HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The F-16s thundered through the sky Wednesday following a deadly plane crash in Utah's western desert.

The crash claimed the life of Air Force Capt. George-Bryan Houghton, who was flying an F-16 during a routine night training mission in preparation for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

Houghton's plane crashed in the Utah Test and Training Range about 35 miles south of Wendover at 10:25 p.m. Monday.

Planes were grounded Tuesday, but 388th Fighter Wing commander Col. Scott Dennis said his airmen can best honor Houghton through their continued professional training to be ready for their missions abroad.

Maj. Bernadette Dozier, spokeswoman for the 388th, said Wednesday that the 421st Fighter Squadron, to which Houghton was assigned, is going through a difficult time as the airmen cope with the loss of one of their own.

Dozier said a memorial service is planned for Friday at 4:21 p.m. at Hangar 37 at Hill Air Force Base.

Following a plane crash involving loss of life or causing $1 million in damage or more, two investigations are slated to take place, Dozier said. A safety investigation and an accident investigation are expected to begin immediately, she said, calling the investigations a meticulous process that could take months to complete.

The most recent previous F-16 plane crash in Utah was in March 2006, but the pilot, Lt. Jay Baer, ejected safely from his plane, which crashed near Carrington Island in the Great Salt Lake. Results from the investigation of that crash were released by Air Combat Command headquarters in Virginia about four months later.

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