An F-16 fighter jet belonging to the Air Force’s elite aerial demonstration squadron, the Thunderbirds, crashed in the Southern California desert on Wednesday. Fortunately, the pilot was able to successfully eject from the aircraft, according to military officials.
Details of the Crash
The crash occurred around 10:45 a.m. (local time) during a routine training mission “over controlled airspace in California.”
- Aircraft: The jet was identified as an F-16C Fighting Falcon, the single-engine multirole aircraft central to the Thunderbirds’ famous aerobatic displays.
- Location: The incident took place near Trona, an unincorporated community located in the Mojave Desert, approximately 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, near the border of San Bernardino and Inyo counties.
- Pilot Status: The pilot, the sole occupant of the jet, managed to eject safely. The San Bernardino County Fire Department confirmed the pilot was treated at the scene and transported to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. The Air Force stated the pilot is in stable condition and receiving follow-on care.
- Base: The aircraft was assigned to the Thunderbirds, who practice seasonally out of Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, Nevada. Reports suggested six Thunderbirds jets had departed for training, but only five returned.
Investigation Underway
The Air Force has not released details on the circumstances or cause of the crash. The incident is currently under investigation by the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office, which is expected to release further information once the initial crash site assessment and review are complete.
The crash site is near the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, a major military training and testing facility. Local fire departments responded to the “aircraft emergency” and assisted China Lake emergency resources with fire suppression in the dry lakebed near Trona.
Thunderbirds and Safety History
The Thunderbirds, similar to the Navy’s Blue Angels, are known for performing high-risk, tight formations at air shows, often flying within inches of each other. Formed in 1953, both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds have had dozens of crashes throughout their long histories. The crash near Trona is in the same general area where a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed in 2022, tragically killing its pilot.