TRON, CA. — A fighter jet from the Air Force's elite Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed in the Southern California desert Wednesday, but the pilot was able to eject safely, military officials said.
The pilot was treated at a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
The F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed around 10:45 a.m. during a training flight “over controlled airspace in California,” according to a statement from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
The fire department said it 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.
The Air Force said in a statement that Wednesday's crash is under investigation and more information will be provided by the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office.
Like the Navy's Blue Angels, the Air Force's Thunderbirds display their famous tight formations at air shows and practice flying within inches of each other. The brief statement from the Air Force did not provide details about the circumstances of the crash.
The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have suffered dozens of accidents over their long history.
Formed in 1953, the Thunderbirds train seasonally at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. Aircraft based there include the F-16 Falcon and F-22 Raptor fighter jets, as well as the A-10 Warthog attack aircraft.
