A Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet from the United States Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds demonstration team crashed this Tuesday (U.S.) near Trona Air Base (TRH) in California.
The aircraft involved in the accident was F-16 serial number 5, part of the official formation of the aerobatic squadron.
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Moments before the incident, the team’s six jets had taken off from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, located approximately 250 km east of the crash site, to conduct a training flight.
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Pilot managed to eject in time
Images shared on social media and by observers in the California desert show that the pilot was able to activate the ejection system moments before impact.
According to initial information, the service member sustained minor injuries and was immediately transported to a hospital in the city of Ridgecrest, where she received medical care.
Official update
A spokesperson for the USAF later confirmed that an unexpected failure occurred during the F-16C training. The emergency situation forced the pilot — a female officer from the squadron — to abandon the aircraft seconds before it hit the ground.
The U.S. Air Force stated that an investigation has been opened to determine the exact causes of the accident, and confirmed that no other individuals were injured.
Source and images: United States Air Force USAF | Wikimedia. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
