An F-16C Fighting Falcon belonging to the elite U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team crashed near Trona Airport in San Bernardino County, California, on Wednesday morning. The aircraft went down around 10:45 a.m. during a training mission over controlled airspace, the USAF confirmed.
Emergency crews from San Bernardino County Fire Station 57 responded immediately to reports of an aircraft emergency near the San Bernardino–Inyo County line. Authorities stated that the aircraft crashed into a dry lake bed near Trona, prompting coordinated fire-suppression efforts with China Lake emergency teams.
The pilot, the sole occupant, successfully ejected from the aircraft. He sustained non–life-threatening injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Officials confirmed there was no threat to surrounding vegetation or the local community, urging the public to avoid the area.
In an official statement, the U.S. Air Force noted, “The pilot is in stable condition and receiving follow-on care. The incident is under investigation, and further details will be released by the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office.”
Images and videos circulating on social media showed a plume of black smoke rising from the crash site and appeared to capture the moment the pilot’s parachute deployed. Eyewitnesses, including photographers tracking the Thunderbird formation earlier in the day, reported that only five aircraft returned to base after the training sortie.
Local scanner updates and early social media reports initially hinted at a Thunderbird jet being involved before official confirmation arrived.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
