US F-16 jet crashes, catches fire in Texas

A US F-16 waqrplane has crashed during takeoff from an airbase in the state of Texas.

The incident took place on Wednesday morning, when the jet from the 138th Fighter Wing caught fire and covered the runway at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base with a big cloud of smoke.

The pilot ejected from the burning plane and was taken to a hospital to receive care for possible injuries.

“The Houston Fire Department is responding to a military jet which has caught fire on the north side of Ellington Field in southeast Houston,” Houston’s Office of Emergency Management said in a statement, warning locals that there would be increased traffic in the area.

After the crash, the F-16’s engine continued to run until it ran out of fuel and allowed the authorities to reduce the danger area.

US lost another F-16 fighter jet during a training flight over Maryland in early April.