F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes in California Desert

F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes in California Desert

A fighter jet with the Air Force’s elite Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed in the Southern California desert Wednesday, but the pilot managed to eject safely, the military said.

The pilot was being treated at a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

The F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed around 10:45 a.m. during a training mission “over controlled airspace in California,” according to a statement from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

The fire department said it had responded to an “aircraft emergency” near Trona, an unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert about 180 miles (290 kilometers) north of Los Angeles.

In 2022, a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed near Trona, killing the pilot.

Wednesday’s crash is under investigation and further information will be released from the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office, the Air Force statement said.

Like the Navy’s Blue Angels, the Air Force Thunderbirds perform their famous tight formations at air shows, and train to fly within inches of each other. The brief statement from the Air Force did not give details on the circumstances of the crash.

The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have had dozens of crashes in their long histories.

Formed in 1953, the Thunderbirds practice seasonally out of Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. Aircraft based there include F-16 Falcon and F-22 Raptor fighter jets as well as A-10 Warthog ground-attack jets.

FBI Arrests Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber Suspect

Admiral Bradley Testifies on Boat Strike

ICE Launches Immigration Crackdown in New Orleans

TPUSA Addresses Candace Owens’ Conspiracy Theories

Man Rapes 3rd Woman After Avoiding Jail

2025 Layoffs Highest Since 2020 Pandemic

Democrat Announces Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth

Republican Van Epps Wins Tennessee Special Election

House Republicans Subpoena Jack Smith

Trump Pardons Democrat Henry Cuellar

House Oversight Probes Walz Over Somali Fraud

Trump Ends Biden-Era Fuel Standards

Third Afghan Arrested on Terror-Related Charges

Admiral Bradley Approved 2nd Strike, Not Hegseth

Appeals Court Disqualifies Alina Habba as Prosecutor

Trump Fires 8 NYC Immigration Judges

White House Releases Trump's MRI Results

Witkoff and Kushner Meet Putin

Wounded Guardsman Gives Thumbs Up, Wiggles Toes

Michael Dell Donates $6.25B to Trump Accounts for Kids