194th Fighter Squadron crashed during a routine training mission on Thursday around 15:30hrs local time about 100 miles east of Fresno. The pilot safely ejected.">
Fighter Jet News

F-16 Fighting Falcon News

Fresno based 194 FS F-16C crashes

December 27, 2012 (by Asif Shamim) - A California Air National Guard F-16C block 32 from the 194th Fighter Squadron crashed during a routine training mission on Thursday around 15:30hrs local time about 100 miles east of Fresno. The pilot safely ejected.

A USAF F-16C block 32 from the 194th FS similar to this crashed Thursday

The pilot had 10 years flight experience with the $21 million F-16 fighter jet.

The F-16 was flying between 12,000 and 15,000 feet when an in-flight emergency occurred and the aircraft crashed in a remote area of Inyo County, said Col. Clay Garrison of the 144th Fighter Wing.

Air National Guard official said the pilot was able to eject safely. The cause is under investigation. No other details were immediately available.

Crash investigators now find themselves in the same region where another 194 Fighter Squadron F-16 crashed back in 2007. In that incident, F-16C #84-1279 was destroyed. The pilot in that crash also escaped injury.