A U.S. Air Force Thunderbird pilot survived a dramatic crash Wednesday after an F-16C Fighting Falcon went down on a dry lake bed near Trona Airport in San Bernardino County, California.
The jet, part of the Air Force’s elite Thunderbirds demonstration team, crashed just south of Death Valley during what officials described as a routine training operation.
Video captured by witnesses shows the aircraft descending rapidly before erupting into flames on impact, sending a large plume of smoke into the air.
According to initial statements, the pilot ejected before the jet hit the ground and was recovered with only minor injuries.
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The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Emergency crews transported the pilot to a hospital in Ridgecrest for further evaluation.
The Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, perform precision aerial demonstrations across the country and are considered one of the military’s most recognizable public-outreach units. The incident comes during a year in which U.S. aviation has faced an unusual spike in high-profile crashes and emergency landings.
This is a developing story…
