A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. late Tuesday night and the pilot has been pronounced dead.
The crash took place at 11:30 p.m. during a routine training mission with one pilot on board.
In an update at 3:34 a.m., Shaw AFB said, “The pilot of the F-16CM that crashed at approximately 2330 on June 30, 2020, during a routine training mission here at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., was pronounced dead.”
“The name of the pilot is being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification. Out of respect and consideration for the family, we ask for your patience and to avoid speculation until we release more information,” the update added.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The jet was a F-16CM Fighting Falcon assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing.
A photo circulating social media claims to show the fiery wreckage after the crash. However, the photo could not be verified at this time.
F-16C assigned to 20th Fighter Wing crashes at Shaw AFB – https://t.co/Rcz1vPo4E3 pic.twitter.com/T9sFNCjF61
— Alert 5 (@alert5) July 1, 2020
