An F-16 from the USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nev., crashed Monday night about 8:50 p.m. near the end of the runway as it came in to land at the Tonopah Test Range Airfield, Nev. The pilot ejected safely. It was the second crash of an F-16 on the same day; on Monday an F-16 went down off the Florida coast. The Air Force has not identified the Nellis pilot, who was flying a night training mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.