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a fighter jet with air forcebelongs to the elite thunderbirds Demonstration squadron crashes in southern California desertion on Wednesday, but the pilot managed to eject safely, the Army 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 at about 10:45 a.m. during a training mission “in 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. 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 statement said Wednesday’s crash remains under investigation and further information will be released from the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office.
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 Air Force’s brief statement did not provide details about the circumstances of the crash.
There have been dozens of accidents throughout the long history of the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.
Formed in 1953, the Thunderbirds conduct seasonal practices 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.