* US auto industry sales could hit bottom in 2nd qtr

* US auto industry sales may be below 15 million annual rate in April

* Ford US car, crossover segment share likely up in April

* Ford US market share likely down overall in April

(Adds details of interview with Ford chief sales analyst)

By David Bailey

DETROIT (Reuters) - U.S. auto sales appear to have fallen further in April after a weak first quarter, and could dip below 15 million units on an annualized basis, Ford Motor Co's chief sales analyst said in an interview on Tuesday.

But the Ford (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) executive, George Pipas, told Reuters that the No. 2 U.S. automaker saw signs to suggest the second quarter could mark a bottom for the industry in the world's largest market for cars and trucks.

Pipas cautioned that more uncertainty than usual surrounded that forecast since U.S. consumers were hit especially hard by rising food and fuel costs and tight credit.