A Holloman Air Force Base pilot safely ejected from an F-16 Fighting Falcon during a training mission near White Sands Missile Range Wednesday.
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It fell around 8:36 a.m. and it’s being reported that the “student” pilot was able to successfully eject himself before the jet crashed, however, he was checked in at a hospital shortly after the accident occurred, according to AZ Central. “He was part of a training mission”.
The $25 million plane was not carrying any live munitions, according to Holloman.
By mid-2015, it was expected that Holloman would be responsible for as much as 45 percent of the F-16 training for the entire Department of Defense.
“We don’t have that information”, Ponder said.
He was identified only as a first lieutenant assigned to the 314th Fighter Squadron.
The name of the pilot, who was transported to a medical facility, wasn’t immediately released.
“He was not injured in the crash”, Ponder said.
The Fighting Falcon went down about 8:45 a.m. near Salinas Peak, about 45 miles northwest of Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
Emergency response teams were on scene and will investigate the accident.
They said the F-16 was operating in military airspace over the White Sands Missile Range.
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He said all flying operations for the day have ceased and will resume following the Thanksgiving holiday.
