Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Dec 5: A US Air Force Thunderbird F-16C Fighting Falcon went down during a training mission in the Southern California desert, with the pilot managing to safely eject before impact, the Air Force confirmed on Wednesday. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

According to an official statement from the Air Force Thunderbirds, the incident occurred on December 3, 2025, at around 10:45 a.m. during a routine training flight over controlled airspace in California. The pilot, who survived the ejection, is reported to be in stable condition and is receiving further medical care.

Emergency responders from the San Bernardino County Fire Department said the aircraft crashed near China Lake, roughly 270 km north of Los Angeles. The pilot sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported from the scene to a nearby hospital. Authorities confirmed there is no threat to vegetation or surrounding communities, urging the public to avoid the area while response operations continue.

In a post on X, the fire department noted that it was assisting local emergency teams with fire suppression efforts in the dry lakebed near Trona. The aircraft was confirmed to have only one occupant — the pilot.

US Air Force Sgt. Jovante Johnson stated that the downed aircraft belonged to the Air Force Thunderbirds, the elite aerial demonstration unit based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This crash follows a similar incident in 2023, when a US F-16 jet went down off the west coast of South Korea. In that case as well, the pilot successfully ejected after departing from Kunsan Air Base during a training exercise, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.