An F-16C assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing diverted and attempted to land at Lake Havasu City Municipal Airport, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. at approximately 10:35 a.m. during a routine training flight.
During the landing, the jet ran off the runway and through the airport’s north fence, while the pilot safely ejected, said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jenna Bingham. The plane’s nose cone became detached during the crash, as did the front portion of the canopy.
Bingham declined to say whether it was a mechanical issue that forced the plane to land, but recordings of emergency radio dispatchers indicated the plane had an “engine flameout.”
The pilot was in good condition, and was transported by first responders to Havasu Regional Medical Center. He was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon.
The F-16 is assigned to Luke Air Force Base near Glendale.
Once Air Force investigators have gathered what information they need the aircraft will be transported to a military installation.
