A Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet from the United States Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds demonstration team crashed on Tuesday near Trona Airfield (TRH) in California.br br The aircraft involved in the accident was F-16 serial number 5, part of the official formation of the aerobatic squadron.br br Shortly before the incident, the team’s six aircraft had taken off from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, located roughly 250 km east of the crash site, to conduct a routine training flight.br br Images shared on social media and by observers in the California desert show that the pilot managed to activate the ejection system just moments before impact.