Shaw Air Force Base Pilot Dies in F-16 Crash in Afghanistan

A pilot from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter died Wednesday when the F-16 he was flying crashed in eastern Afghanistan. 

Capt. James Michael Steel, 29, of Tampa, Fla., died in the crash near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. He was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron. 

Steel arrived at Shaw Air Force Base in 2010, according to a report from WIS. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2006 and then completed pilot training.

NATO is still investigating the cause of the crash, according to WIS, but initial reports show that there was "no insurgent activity in the area" when the plane crashed.