US F-16 fighter jet crashes at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A single-seater US Air Force combat aircraft hit the ground and caught fire during a training flight at Shaw Air Force Base, the military installation confirmed.
The pilot reportedly survived and was rushed to the hospital.
The F-16 belonging to the 20th Fighter Wing crashed at approximately 11:30pm local time on Wednesday, according to a brief statement the base posted on Facebook. It said the cause of the crash, which happened during a "routine training mission," is not yet known, RT reported.
Local media reported that the pilot was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, but his condition is still unknown.
Video that surfaced online shows what appears to be a crash site. Firefighters are seen putting out a fire.
Shaw Air Force Base, located outside Sumter, South Carolina, houses three squadrons of F-16CMs. The 20th Fighter Wing specializes in the suppression of enemy air defenses, air interdiction, and combat search-and-rescue operations.
This recent incident comes after a series of crashes involving US Air Force jets in recent weeks. Earlier in May, an F-35A and F-22A were lost during the same “training missions” in Florida; in both cases, the pilots managed to eject to safety.
