Thunderbird pilot ejected during training exercise in California, Air Force says
A Thunderbird pilot was hospitalized on Wednesday after they were ejected during a training mission in California, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said.
The pilot, who was not identified, was “safely ejected” from a F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft at about 10:45 a.m., the Air Force spokesperson said in a statement. The pilot’s condition has stabilized and they are receiving additional care, according to the statement.
BREAKING: A F-16C Fighting Falcon with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, has crashed to the south of Trona Airport near Death Valley, California. The pilot successfully ejected with minor injuries. pic.twitter.com/g7pXtab5ZM
— TheScannerGuy (@Lafayette_Grant) December 3, 2025
Facebook user Blair Scott posted Wednesday the crash occurred south of the Trona Airport in Inyo County, California. The airport is about 220 miles west of Nellis Air Force Base.
The crash is under investigation and further details will be released by the Air Force base’s public affairs office. Additional information was not released.
The Thunderbirds aerial demonstration squadron is based at Nellis, and its mission is to demonstrate precision in aircraft maneuvering, according to the Air Force website. The team formed in 1953 and today is made up of eight pilots, four support officers and more than 130 enlisted personnel.
The squadron also travels to dozens of venues across the U.S. each year to demonstrate its capabilities, and Air Force officials have stated previously that Thunderbird air shows help drive recruitment.
Wednesday’s crash isn’t the first involving the Thunderbirds in recent years.
Maj. Stephen Del Bagno died after his F-16 jet crashed during a training exercise over the Nevada Test and Training Range on April 4, 2018. Del Bagno’s death represents the 21st fatal crash in Thunderbirds history involving an aircrew member, according to a 2018 article in Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com.
