On Wednesday, an F-16C from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demo team went down during a routine training flight over the Mojave Desert near Trona, California.
The pilot hit the eject button just in time and walked away with only minor injuries before being taken to a nearby hospital. Emergency crews arrived to see the jet's wreckage still smoldering in the remote desert heat. 🔥
The Thunderbirds, famous for their precision aerial stunts at air shows, won’t be performing this weekend while investigators piece together what went wrong. The Air Force says a formal probe is underway to find the cause—stay tuned for updates! 🕵️♂️
Thankfully, stories like this remind us how rigorous training and safety protocols often save lives, even when things go sideways. Next time you spot those red, white, and blue jets slicing through the sky, you’ll know there’s more to their show than meets the eye. ✈️
Reference(s):
Thunderbirds F-16 jet crashes in California desert, pilot ejects safely
cgtn.com
