A fighter jet with the Air Force’s elite Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed in the Southern California desert on Wednesday. Video captured the F-16C Fighting Falcon turning into a massive fireball. However, the pilot managed to eject safely moments before the explosion.
According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department, the pilot was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a hospital.
The incident occurred at around 10:45 am (local time) in a remote desert area south of Death Valley. Video of the incident was shared widely on social media, showing the aircraft plunging toward the ground before the pilot ejected via parachute to safety. Watch the video here.
US F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes | Video
Emergency responders said they had been called to an “aircraft emergency" near Trona, a small unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert, approximately 180 miles north of Los Angeles.
The F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed around 10:45 a.m. during a training mission “over controlled airspace in California," a statement from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada states.
The Thunderbirds issued a statement on social media and stated, “On December 3, 2025, at approximately 10:45 a.m., 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 Thunderbirds, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, are the Air Force’s premier aerial demonstration team and perform some of the service’s most demanding precision manoeuvres.
