TRONA, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> Firefighters from San Bernardino County responded to an airplane crash next to Trona Airport that involved an F-16 fighter jet.
The incident happened about 10:45am December 3, 2025, in the unincorporated community of Trona, north of Ridgecrest, close to the San Bernardino/Inyo County line.
The pilot a woman ejected safely and suffered minor injuries before being taken to a hospital in Ridgecrest. The jet had taken off from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas alongside five other F-16C Fighting Falcon “Thunderbird” before going down.
It was reported, all the aircrafts were in a training mission over controlled airspace, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement.
The fire department said, a fire stemming from the downed aircraft but said there was no threat to the surrounding vegetation or the community.
It’s unknown what caused the fighter jet to go down.
The incident remains under investigation.
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