By Frank Miles, Lucas Tomlinson | Fox News
An F-16 fighter jet crashed into a warehouse while attempting to land at March Air Reserve Base in Southern California, an Air Force official confirmed to Fox News late Thursday.
The pilot was not hurt and there were no immediate reports of injuries on the ground, said Maj. Perry Covington, director of public affairs at the base.
Interstate 215, which runs between the base and the warehouse, was closed in both directions, backing up rush-hour traffic for miles.
Television news footage showed a large hole in the roof and sprinklers on inside the building about 65 miles east of Los Angeles. The jet’s cockpit canopy was on a runway and a parachute had settled in a nearby field.
Plane crash into building, pilot ejected and being medically evaluated. Please stay away from area and clear from emergency vehicles until directed otherwise. Updates to follow.
The pilot ejected and was being medically evaluated, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.
The F-16 is assigned to the Air National Guard, officials said. One official told Fox News that the F-16 was one of the alert jets for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and was armed.
The base is home to the Air Force Reserve Command’s Fourth Air Force Headquarters and various units of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, California Air National Guard and California Army National Guard.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
