A United States Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed during takeoff Wednesday at Ellington Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Texas.
The fighter jet reportedly caught on fire as it was taking off, leaving a massive plume of smoke on the runway. Authorities cordoned off a one-mile area in response. The pilot safely ejected and was taken to a local medical facility for evaluation.
“The aircraft, under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), was conducting a training flight,” the North American Aerospace Command said in a statement.
WATCH:
UPDATE: F-16 stationed at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston crashed on take-off during training flight; pilot safely ejected. pic.twitter.com/hWnhFJMlBf
— ABC News (@ABC) June 21, 2017
The fighter belonged to a detachment of the 138th Fighter Wing. NORAD did not provide details as to why the fighter caught fire, although the plane was reportedly on a training mission and was carrying ordnance.
Send tips to russ@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.