An American F-16 fighter crashed on Tuesday near the US Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. The pilot ejected from the falling machine. Authorities asked non-emergency personnel to avoid the crash area because there were dangerous chemicals on board the plane.
Holloman air base officials said the F-16 crashed near White Sands National Park. It took place around 11.50 a.m. local time (3.50 a.m. Polish time).
The Holloman base is located eight kilometers west of the city of Alamogordo.
The pilot was the only person on board. He was not seriously injured, but was transported by ambulance for medical examination.
An American F-16 fighter crashed near the US Holloman Air Force BaseTwitter/HollomanAFB
There were dangerous chemicals on board the plane
Authorities urged non-emergency personnel to avoid the crash area because there were dangerous chemicals on board the plane.
Although White Sands National Park remained open to visitors, some areas were closed. An investigation is underway to determine what caused the crash.
The F-16 “Fighting Falcon” is a model of a single-engine supersonic fighter aircraft. It was transferred to the American Air Force in the 1970s. Hundreds of machines of this type are still in service with the military aviation of the United States and other countries around the world.
Fox News emphasizes that this was the third US Air Force F-16 crash in the last six months. The first one crashed off the coast of South Korea in December last year, and the second one in January this year – also in South Korea. Both machines crashed during training flights.
Main photo source: Twitter/HollomanAFB