Dashcam Captures Moment Pilot Ejects From Plane Before Crash

A dashcam caught the shocking moment a pilot ejected from a plane shortly before it crashed into a warehouse.

Footage caught by motorist James Dyer shows the jet appearing in frame before plummeting downwards. A burst of smoke suddenly appears from the plane and a figure can be seen in the sky, wearing a parachute.

According to the LA Times, the F-16 military jet was having hydraulic problems, forcing the unnamed pilot to eject from the aircraft.

The pilot landed safely in a nearby field, thanks to his parachute, while the jet hit the See Water Inc warehouse in Riverside County, California, near to the March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley.

A warehouse worker was able to capture the aftermath of the crash, recording a clip in which he could be heard saying: "Holy... dude. That's a... aeroplane; that's a military aeroplane in our building."

The crash set off the sprinkler system in the warehouse as it came crashing through the roof.

Eye-witness Frank Sandoval told NBC: "Sales rep says, 'Hey, there's a plane going down over us,'.

"There's no way, and sure enough we saw a guy eject right over our warehouse. The plane went into one side of the building through the other side of the building."

Worker Daniel Gallegos told KABC-TV: "I just hear this explosion and turn around to the back of the building, and I just seen a burst of flames and just the ceiling started falling through every part of the building.

"I turned around, and my co-worker just told me to get out, so I just made a run for it."

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In total, 12 people were taken to hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the crash.

The pilot was taken to hospital, where he was checked over and later released.

Colonel Tom McNamara told the news outlet: "Any time you're dealing with an aircraft incident, there are potential hazards.

"Incidents like this are very complex. Safety is our number one priority at this point."

State Fire Captain Fernando Herrera added: "Anything that may be in the warehouse is a concern, obviously not just to firefighters, but to the military."

The F-16 was on a training mission at the time of the incident, under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defence Command.

Topics: US News

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19