A military plane believed to be a US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed near Trona Airport in Death Valley in a massive plume of black smoke.
The plane’s pilot appeared to have made a lucky escape, falling slowly to the ground with the help of a parachute in video posted ton a video posted to X by DisasterAlert.
A massive black plume of smoke was seen after a military plane believed to be an F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed near Trona Airport in San Bernardino County.
The plane was part of the US Air Force Thunderbirds, the military’s official aerial demonstration team, the social media post said. It’s currently unclear what led to the crash.
A witness called the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office at 10:28 a.m. reporting that at least one pilot had ejected and was being transported to the hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
The approximate cost of a US Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon is around $20 million. “A Thunderbird pilot ejected safely from a F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft during a training mission over controlled airspace in California, a release from the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron read.
The pilot who ejected is now in stable condition and receiving more care, according to the release.
The investigation is being handled by China Lake police at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in Ridgecrest.
