December 3, 2025 (by Lieven Dewitte) - A block 52 F-16C from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team crashed late Wednesday morning in a remote desert area near Trona, California, after the pilot safely ejected and sustained only minor injuries.
The single‑seat F-16C went down just south of Trona Airport, on a dry lakebed near the eastern edge of California’s Death Valley region in San Bernardino County. The crash site lies roughly 27 miles southeast of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and about 117 miles southwest of the Thunderbirds’ home station at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.​

According to local emergency services, response crews from San Bernardino County Fire supported China Lake personnel in securing the scene and extinguishing a post‑impact fire on the desert floor. Officials reported no injuries on the ground and no threat to nearby communities or surrounding vegetation.​

The Thunderbirds confirmed that the pilot successfully ejected from the F-16 at approximately 10:45h local time and descended under a parachute before being recovered by rescue personnel. The pilot was transported to a hospital in Ridgecrest with non‑life‑threatening injuries, described as stable and receiving follow‑on medical care.​

No identifying details about the pilot, including assignment within the team’s formation, have been released pending standard notification procedures. The Air Force has emphasized that updates on the pilot’s status and any changes in medical condition will come through official channels as more information becomes available.​

The Thunderbirds are the U.S. Air Force’s premier aerial demonstration squadron, flying the F-16C Fighting Falcon in tightly choreographed formation and solo aerobatic routines at airshows across the United States and abroad. Each winter, the team conducts intensive work‑up training from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas to prepare for the upcoming show season, flying frequent practice sorties over nearby training ranges and designated airspace.​

This is the first reported Thunderbird mishap involving an F-16 in several years, though the team regularly conducts high-intensity training that places significant demands on aircraft and pilots.

The aircraft involved in the crash was participating in one of these pre‑season training missions when the mishap occurred, during a period in which the team typically refines maneuvers and evaluates new or repositioned pilots. While unofficial reports have suggested the jet may have been one of the team’s solo aircraft, officials have not yet confirmed that detail.​