LOS ANGELES, United States: A United States (US) F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed into a national park in New Mexico on Tuesday, the Air Force said.
Holloman Air Force Base announced on its Facebook page that the pilot of an F-16 fighter jet ejected before the supersonic aircraft crashed in White Sands National Park.
The only pilot, who has not been identified, was transported for treatment.
“All non-emergency personnel should avoid the area to prevent possible exposure to hazardous chemicals onboard the aircraft,” Holloman AFB added.
Rescue teams were dispatched to the area and investigations into the incident began.
The statement said that investigations by the competent police board are continuing to determine the cause of this incident.
The national park is surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range, a large area controlled by the US military where hundreds of weapons and missile tests are conducted each year.
This area was the site of the Trinity test, the first atomic bomb explosion in history, in 1945.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic aircraft originally developed for the United States military in the 1970s.
White Sands National Park is a 230-square-mile park known for its gypsum-filled sand dunes that reach up to 18 meters (60 feet) in height.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit it every year.
