US F-16 Fighter jet crashes: One of America’s deadliest fighter jets, the F-16, crashed in the California desert, but the Air Force pilot managed to eject safely before the impact. According to military officials, the F-16 Thunderbirds jet went down during a routine operation. A video of the incident has emerged, showing the aircraft dropping rapidly before erupting into a ball of fire as it hit the ground. The pilot parachuted out in time and survived the crash.
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What exactly happened at the California dessert
A fighter jet from the Thunderbirds squadron crashed in Southern California, but the pilot managed to eject in time and landed safely with a parachute. He is currently receiving treatment at a hospital and is reported to have non-life-threatening injuries.
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According to the US Air Force, the F-16C Fighting Falcon went down during a training mission at around 10:45 a.m. The fire department said they received an aircraft emergency alert in the Trona area. The jet crashed in the Mojave Desert, about 180 miles from Los Angeles. In 2022, a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet also crashed in the same region, killing its pilot. The Air Force has confirmed that the cause of the latest crash is under investigation.
US Air Force fighter jets- Past crashes
More than a dozen US Air Force fighter jets, including the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, have crashed over the past decade. US F-16 Thunderbirds, F-16 Falcons, F-22 Raptors, and A-10 fighter jets have also crashed. However, the US Air Force is now using a new fleet of F-35 fighter jets, an advanced version of the F-16. The Donald Trump administration is also working on developing the F-47 fighter jet.
More than a dozen US Air Force fighter jets, including aircraft from the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds teams, have crashed over the past decade. Incidents have involved F-16 Thunderbirds, F-16 Falcons, F-22 Raptors, and A-10 jets. The Air Force has since begun operating a newer fleet of F-35 fighter jets, considered an advanced successor to the F-16. The Donald Trump administration has also announced plans to develop a next-generation aircraft, the F-47 fighter jet.