ABU DHABI, June 22: A US Air Force U-2 spy plane has crashed during landing at an air base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the state news agency WAM reported Wednesday.

“A US Air Force U-2 plane has crashed while trying to land at an air force base in the United Arab Emirates,” the agency quoted an official source as saying.

“US army authorities are investigating and the United Arab Emirates is offering the required assistance for this matter,” said the source.

The agency noted that “the United States has an agreement with the United Arab Emirates which allows it to use some of the military installations in the country.”

The US military said in a statement released earlier on Wednesday in Baghdad that its U-2 spy plane crashed in southwest Asia killing its pilot.

“The pilot completed flying a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (in Afghanistan) and was returning to base when the crash occurred” late on Tuesday, it said.—AFP