A US Air Force Thunderbird F-16C Crashed
A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon from the elite Thunderbirds aerobatic demonstration team crashed into a dry lakebed in the Mojave Desert near Trona, California, during a routine training mission on Wednesday morning, military officials confirmed. The pilot ejected safely and is in stable condition, receiving follow-on care at a local hospital.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. PST in controlled airspace south of Trona Airport, about 180 miles northeast of Los Angeles and near the edge of Death Valley National Park, according to a statement from the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
Eyewitness videos circulating on social media showed the jet plummeting to the ground in a fiery explosion, followed by a plume of black smoke rising from the remote, unpopulated area. The pilot's parachute was visible descending as emergency responders rushed to the scene.
San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesperson Ryan Beckers told Reuters: "We received the call at 10:30 a.m. and are assisting Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake with fire suppression on the downed aircraft in a dry lakebed. The area is within our response zone."
No injuries were reported on the ground, and there is no threat to the public, authorities said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, with further details to be released by the 57th Wing.
The Thunderbirds, the Air Force's premier aerial display squadron based at Nellis AFB, perform high-precision routines in F-16C Fighting Falcons to showcase U.S. air power and support recruitment. Each jet costs around $18.8 million, per 2021 Air Force estimates.
This marks a rare mishap for the team, whose last fatal crash was in 2016 during a training flight in Nevada. The squadron routinely conducts such missions ahead of airshow performances.
The remote crash site, a major live-weapons range used by all services, minimised potential risks. Six Thunderbirds jets departed earlier, but only five returned, per social media reports.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as the investigation progresses.
