Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcon crashes in California, pilot survives

An Air Force Thunderbirds fighter jet crashed on Wednesday in the Southern California desert. The pilot safely ejected before the plane hit the ground and went up in flames, officials said. The F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed into a dry lake bed near Trona, California, around 10:45 a.m. during a training mission over controlled airspace, according to a statement from the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Trona is an unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert, about 180 miles north of Los Angeles. The pilot, and sole occupant of the jet, was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries and taken to a local hospital. Thunderbirds said the pilot is in stable condition and receiving follow-on care. The San Bernardino County Fire Department assisted China Lake emergency resources with containing the fire from the aircraft after the crash. The Department said there was no threat to the surrounding vegetation from the fire. The Air Force said the crash is under investigation and updates will be released by the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office. No details were provided about the cause of the accident or what led up to the crash. A Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed near Trona in 2022, killing its pilot. Both the Thunderbirds and the Navy's Blue Angels have recorded numerous crashes during their long histories of high-performance demonstration flying. The Thunderbirds formed in 1953. The elite air demonstration squadron performs precision aerial demonstrations in tight formation at air shows across the country. The team is made up of 8 pilots, and four serve in roles from medical support to public affairs. The team trains out of Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, flying F-16 Falcons and other aircraft, including F-22 Raptors and A-10 Warthog jets. The Thunderbirds' last show of 2025 was on September 27 and 28 at the Pueblo Wings of Pride Air Show in Pueblo, Colorado. The team's final show was supposed to be on November 1st and 2nd at Thunder Over the Sound at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. That event, along with all other appearances for the Thunderbirds in October, was canceled by the Air Force due to the federal government shutdown. RELATED ARTICLES:Indian Tejas fighter jet crashes at Dubai Airshow, killing pilotF-16 pilot killed in crash during airshow rehearsal in Poland