Overview
- The F-16C went down at about 10:45 a.m. in controlled military airspace near Trona, impacting a dry lake bed by the San Bernardino–Inyo county line.
- The sole pilot ejected, was recovered in stable condition, and was transported to a local hospital for follow-on care.
- San Bernardino County Fire and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake crews extinguished a post-impact fire and reported no threat to nearby vegetation or the public.
- The Air Force confirmed the aircraft was assigned to the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team during a routine training mission.
- Observers reported six Thunderbirds jets departed for the sortie with five returning, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.