An F-16 collided with a Cessna C150 about 11 miles north of Charleston, S.C. Tuesday morning.
The F-16 was not from the South Carolina Air National Guard, WYFF4 reports. A statement from the National Transportation Safety Board reveals that the two people who were aboard the Cessna died on impact, according to The Associated Press. The military pilot from the F-16 was able to safely eject prior to the crash, and was taken to Joint Base Charleston to be assessed for any injuries.
“Our thoughts are with the friends and family of anyone aboard the civilian aircraft,” said a statement from the NTSB. “A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will convene to determine the cause of the crash.”
One witness said the crash resembled a “ball of fire in the air.” The North Charleston Fire Department has deployed a unit to help Berkeley County’s Fire Department, which discovered the fuselage of the Cessna. The Coast Guard is also on the scene to assist.
Toxic flames appear to be coming from the downed F-16 in a rice field approximately 100 feet from the Lewisfield plantation home.
“We do not have a statement at this time,” Senior Airman Sydney Manning of Joint Base Charleston public affairs told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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