US fighter jet crashes, pilot narrowly escapes

An F-16C Fighting Falcon fighter jet of the Air Force Thunderbirds crashed during a training mission in the desert of Southern California, USA. However, the pilot narrowly escaped. He was able to eject in time and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the US Air Force said.

The Air Force's brief statement did not provide details about the cause of the crash. It said the investigation is ongoing and that further information will be provided by the 57th Wing Public Affairs Office. A video of the moment of the crash spread on social media. It shows the pilot ejecting just in time and the fighter jet slowly descending towards the ground. It burst into flames as it hit the ground.

The US Air Force said the crash occurred at 10:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday (December 3) during a training mission in controlled airspace over California.

The crashed F-16 jet was part of the Air Force's elite demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base, according to the Los Angeles Times. The pilot ejected and was taken to a hospital for treatment, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said.

The fire department said in a statement that they responded to an "airborne emergency" near the Trona area of ​​the Mojave Desert. The crash occurred about 180 miles north of Los Angeles.