Expand / Collapse search
☰

Thunderbird F-16 crashes in Southern California; pilot ejects safely

By
Published  December 3, 2025 6:10pm PST
San Bernardino County
FOX 11
Military jet crashes in SoCal

Military jet crashes in SoCal

A pilot safely ejected after a military jet crashed in San Bernardino County.

The Brief

    • The crash happened during a training mission "over controlled airspace" in Southern California. 
    • The pilot was able to safely eject from the aircraft. 
    • It's unclear what caused the crash. 

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. - An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft crashed during a training mission in Southern California. 

What we know:

The crash happened Wednesday, Dec. 3 around 10:45 a.m. near Trona in San Bernardino County. 

A Thunderbird pilot was able to safely eject from the aircraft. They sustained non-life-threatening injuries after successfully deploying a parachute. 

The aircraft crashed into a dry lake bed. According to the Thunderbirds, the training mission was over "controlled airspace". 

Video shared online shows a large explosion occurring as the aircraft crashes. Video also shows the pilot nearby parachuting down. 

It's unclear what caused the crash. The incident is under investigation.

The Source: Information for this story came from a post made on X by AFThunderbirds. 

San Bernardino CountyMilitary