Air National Guard F-16 pilots collide mid-air, both survive

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan, performs an aerial demonstration during the Singapore International Airshow at Changi International Airport, Singapore, Feb. 18, 2016.

Two South Carolina Air National Guard F-16 fighter jets crashed Tuesday night in eastern Georgia after a midair collision. The pilots ejected safely.

The crash occurred in a military area in Georgia’s Jefferson County at about 9:15 p.m. during “routine night-flying operations.”

“Local first responders are securing the area and providing emergency response services. There have been no reports of injuries on the ground,” the South Carolina Air National Guard, based in Eastover, S.C., said in a statement.

The U.S. Air Force will conduct a safety investigation.

“Two F-16s from the South Carolina Air National Guard crashed last night. Both pilots ejected safely, with no reported injuries,” Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice said in a statement.

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