A US Air Force F-16 from the elite Thunderbirds squadron crashed near Trona Airport, California, during a training mission, erupting into a fireball moments after the pilot safely ejected. Officials confirmed the pilot sustained only minor injuries and was taken to a Ridgecrest hospital. The jet went down in a remote desert area near Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, with authorities saying there’s no threat to surrounding vegetation. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Read