Washington, Dec. 5 -- A US Air Force Thunderbird F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed during a training mission in the Southern California desert, with the pilot ejecting safely before the aircraft exploded on impact, the Air Force confirmed.
The crash occurred late Wednesday morning in a remote area south of Death Valley, near the community of China Lake, with a captured video footage posted online showing the jet plunging toward the ground moments before the pilot parachuted to safety, followed by a fireball and thick black smoke rising from the impact site.
In a statement, the Air Force Thunderbirds said: "On December 3, 2025, at approximately 10:45 a.m., a Thunderbird pilot ejected safely from a F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft during a traini...