A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon from the elite Thunderbirds demonstration squadron has crashed near Trona Airport in California. The incident occurred around 10:45 AM in remote desert terrain south of the Death Valley region. Dramatic online footage captured the jet plummeting before striking the ground and erupting into a massive fireball. Officials confirmed the pilot survived but sustained injuries and was transported to a hospital in Ridgecrest. Emergency crews from San Bernardino County responded rapidly and reported no threat of vegetation fires. The Air Force revealed that six Thunderbirds jets took off earlier, but only five returned to base as planned. Early reports indicate the F-16 went down under unknown circumstances near China Lake. An investigation is now underway, with more details expected soon. With more than 4,600 F-16s built worldwide, the aircraft has a long service life — but USAF data shows over 500 major mishaps, while global records approach 750 losses, underscoring the high-stress demands placed on this fighter jet. br br #F16Crash #ThunderbirdsCrash #USAirForceCrash #F16Fireball #ThunderbirdsIncident #CaliforniaJetCrash #TronaAirportCrash #ChinaLakeCrash #USAFAccident #BreakingNews #F16News #MilitaryAviation #AviationAccident #ThunderbirdsF16 #AirForceInvestigation #FighterJetCrash #AviationBreaking #MilitaryNewsbr br ~HT.