F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes in California

An F-16 fighter jet from an elite US Air Force stunt squadron has crashed but the pilot managed to eject safely, the military said.

The plane which was part of the Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed in the Southern California desert on Wednesday. The pilot was being treated for non life-threatening injuries at a hospital, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

The F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed around 10:45 am during a training mission “over 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 in the Mojave Desert about 180 miles north of Los Angeles. In 2022, a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed near Trona, killing the pilot.

Wednesday’s crash is under investigation and further information will be released from the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office, the Air Force statement said.

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 brief statement from the Air Force did not give details on the circumstances of the crash.

A spokesperson for the 'Thunderbirds' squadron said: "On December 3, 2025, at approximately 10:45am, a Thunderbird pilot ejected safely from an F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft during a training mission over controlled airspace in California. The pilot is in stable condition and receiving follow-on care. The incident is under investigation and further information will be released from the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office."

The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have had dozens of crashes in their long histories. Formed in 1953, the Thunderbirds practice seasonally 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.

And it comes after a pilot died when his fighter jet crashed and erupted into flames at the Dubai Airshow last month. The incident, involving an Indian Tejas, happened during the final afternoon demonstration. Rescue operations began immediately, the show was temporarily halted, and visitors were directed back to the exhibition area.

The aircraft, a single-seat Light Combat Aircraft, went down at around 2.10pm local time. Black smoke rose over the Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central as a crowd of spectators watched, and sirens sounded. The Indian Air Force confirmed the pilot has died and an inquiry into the incident is underway.