F-16 Crashes During NORAD Training in California


This is what the scene looked like after an F-16 assigned to the South Dakota Air National Guard's 114th Fighter Wing crashed during a training mission in California on May 16, 2019, according to footage shot by Jeff Schoffstall and obtained by KTLA 5. The pilot was able to eject and is being evaluated at a local hospital. Jeff Schoffstall via KTLA 5/Screenshot.

A F-16 crashed near March ARB, Calif., while flying an afternoon training mission for the North American Aerospace Defense Command May 16, the Air Force Reserve said in a release.

The sole pilot is under evaluation at a nearby hospital after ejecting from the fighter, which is assigned to the 114th Fighter Wing in the South Dakota Air National Guard. Five others were injured on the ground outside the base, the Air Force said.

According to the Associated Press, the Lockheed Martin jet crashed into a warehouse, sending a dozen people without major injuries to hospitals for medical evaluations. The cause of the crash is under investigation, but the AP reported the pilot lost control of the aircraft while having hydraulic problems.

The jet was carrying standard armaments, and authorities will recover the aircraft once they ensure the weapons are safe to handle.

USAF Thunderbirds No. 4 pilot Maj. Stephen Del Bagno died when his F-16 crashed in April 2018 during a training sortie in Nevada. In 2017, a D.C. Air National Guard pilot survived after his F-16 caught fire and crashed near JB Andrews, Md.