Fighter Jet Crashes at Idaho Airshow; Pilot Ejects Safely
As about 85,000 spectators looked on at Mountain Home Air Force Base's Gunfighter Skies 2003 Airshow Sunday, a jet in the Air Force's Thunderbirds precision-flying team dove into the ground.
The pilot of the F-16C ejected safely and suffered no serious injuries.
According to witnesses, the jet was the last of the six to take off. It climbed straight into the sky and the pilot performed a barrel roll.
While upside down, the pilot maneuvered the jet into a dive. As the jet continued to dive, it appeared to have an engine failure when the pilot struggled to pull up.
The pilot ejected and parachuted to safety far from the crash site. He was treated by military medical personnel.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene to protect onlookers from possibly dangerous gas fumes and flying debris.
The Thunderbird team was from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
Thunderbirds website