An F-16 military jet crashed near Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico just before noon local time on Tuesday, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News.
Air Force Col. Justin Spears, 49th Wing commander, said the pilot was the only passenger on the plane and was able to safely eject from the plane before it crashed.
Spears said the pilot was taken to a local hospital, where he was listed in good condition and later released.
The Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed about 11:50 a.m. local time about eight miles west of the base near White Sands National Park, Spears said.
“We are working closely with local authorities, particularly White Sands National Park staff, to ensure the safety and welfare of the public and first responders, and to protect the integrity of the crash site,” Spears said. “An investigation will be conducted by a committee of qualified officers to determine the cause of the incident.”
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It’s an F-16 fighter jet. (Harald Tittel/Photo in association with Getty Images)
Crews responded to the accident scene using the entrance road to the national park.
White Sands National Park is open to the public, but some areas are closed due to emergency situations.
For more information on park closures, please visit: www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
An F-16 crashed near Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. (Google Maps)
Holloman Air Force Base is located approximately eight miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico.
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This is the third crash of a US-made F-16 in the past six months.
An F-16 crashed off the coast of South Korea during a training mission in December, and another F-16 crashed off the coast of South Korea during a training mission in January.
