A fully armed F-16 fighter plane has crashed at March Air Reserve Base outside Riverside, California, damaging a nearby warehouse. The pilot ejected safely.
Firefighters in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, have requested a hazardous material response team, because the plane was loaded with ordnance and external fuel tanks, according to KNBC-TV.
A piece of the plane’s canopy and a parachute were seen on the nearby runway after the pilot ejected, surviving the crash. No injuries were reported on the ground.
Although footage from the scene clearly showed a large hole in the roof of a warehouse and debris resembling a jet inside, March ARB spokesman Major Perry Covington initially told KABC-TV that the plane crashed at the end of the runway while landing, and did not hit any buildings.