A Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet from the US Air Force (USAF) flight demonstration team has crashed in California, with the pilot safely ejecting.
The aircraft was part of the Thunderbirds aerobatic team, which performs at air shows around the world, flying single-engined F-16Cs painted in the team’s distinctive red-white-and-blue livery.
One of those jets crashed on 3 December while conducting a training flight over California, according to the USAF’s 57th Wing, which includes the Thunderbirds demonstration squadron.
The team confirms that the pilot of the single-seat fighter ejected safely and is in stable condition. No details have been provided on the nature of the crash or what manoeuvre was being attempted at the time of the incident.
An investigation into the crash is now underway.
The non-fatal crash in California follows a series of more catastrophic safety incidents involving military flight demonstration teams around the world in recent months.
In November, an Indian air force demonstration pilot was killed at the Dubai air show while performing an aerobatic display in a Hindustan Aeronautics Tejas light fighter.
In that case, the incident aircraft impacted the ground during a low-altitude manoeuvre, offering no chance for the pilot to eject.
The USAF Thunderbirds were also scheduled to perform at the Dubai air show, but cancelled their appearance after the fatal incident out of respect for Indian colleagues.
Separately, a Polish F-16C was destroyed in August while rehearsing aerobatic manoeuvres for a demonstration flight during the Radom air show, which was subsequently cancelled.
The pilot in that incident was also killed, after the aircratf impacted the ground at high-speed while attempting to complete an inside loop inverted manoeuvre with insufficient altitude.
