A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The pilot managed to eject.
The F-16C Viper belonged to the 49th Wing, operating from Holloman AFB. The aircraft crashed as it was about to land at the base, on the early evening of July 13, 2020. “The sole pilot on board successfully ejected, and is currently being treated for minor injuries,” reported the 49th Wing Public Affairs office in a statement. An investigation to determine the cause of the incident was opened.
The new incident comes two weeks after a pilot was killed in another F-16 crash. On June 30, 2020, a USAF F-16CM Fighting Falcon crashed during a routine training mission at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. The aircraft was assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing. The crash is still under investigation.
Earlier in June 2020, another fighter jet crash, this time involving a USAF F-15C Eagle of the 48th Fighter Wing based in RAF Lakenheath, England, took place in the North Sea, off the coast of Yorkshire. The F-15C was carrying out a routine patrol involving four aircraft. The pilot was killed.