F-16 Military Jet Crashes Near Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico

An F-16 military jet crashed near Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico on Tuesday, just before noon local time, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.

An F-16 military jet crashed near Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico on Tuesday, just before noon local time, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.

According to the official, the pilot of the plane was able to eject from the aircraft before it went down. Holloman Air Force Base officials said the U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 49th Wing, crashed west of the base near White Sands National Park at about 11:50 a.m.

The pilot who ejected was the sole occupant on board and was transported by ambulance to receive medical treatment. Officials urged non-emergency personnel to avoid the area to prevent any possible exposure to hazardous chemicals that were on the aircraft.

Crews are responding to the crash scene using an entrance road into the national park. While White Sands National Park is open to the public, some areas have been closed off because of the emergency response.

For more information about the park's closures, visit www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.

An investigation is underway to determine what caused the crash. The base is located about five miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico.

This is the third U.S. F-16 crash in the last six months. An F-16 crashed off the coast of South Korea in December during a training mission, and another F-16 crashed off the coast of South Korea in January also during a training mission.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine, supersonic multirole fighter jet developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. It is one of the most successful fighter aircraft in history, with over 4,600 produced.

The F-16 has been used in a variety of roles, including air superiority, ground attack, and reconnaissance. It has been exported to over 25 countries and has seen combat in numerous conflicts, including the Gulf War, the Bosnian War, and the Kosovo War.

The U.S. Air Force plans to retire the F-16 in the coming years and replace it with the F-35 Lightning II. However, the F-16 is still a capable fighter jet and is expected to remain in service for many years to come.