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September 15, 2003 An Air Force Thunderbird F-16C crashed and exploded during an air show in Mountain Home, Idaho.
The pilot managed to eject from the F-16 and was uninjured.
Thunderbird no. 6 ejection at Mt. Home airshow in 2003 The crash happened shortly after the Thunderbird demonstration started.
According to witnesses, the plane was the sixth and last to take off. It climbed straight into the sky and the pilot performed a barrel roll.
While upside down, the pilot maneuvered the jet into a dive. As the jet continued to dive, it appeared to have an engine failure when the pilot struggled to pull up.
The pilot, Capt. Kris Stricklin of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, safely ejected and parachuted to safety far from the crash site. He was treated by military medical personnel. No other injuries were reported.
The jet crashed near the air control tower and slid in a fiery ball across an open field.
The crash stunned an estimated 85,000 spectators at the "Gunfighter Skies 2003" air show.
A spokeswoman said the Thunderbirds will continue to tour. An airshow is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Wichita, Kansas, then Janesville, Wisc. on Sept. 27 and 28.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
About the pilot:
Capt Chris R. Stricklin (31) is in his first season with the Thunderbirds and he flies the No. 6 jet as the Opposing Solo.
He entered the Air Force in 1994 from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Before his assignment to the team, Capt Stricklin served as a F-15C flight commander, instructor pilot, and flight examiner with the F-15C Formal Training Unit, 1st Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida.
He has logged more than 1,500 hours as an Air Force pilot, with more than 1,200 hours in F-15 C/D and F-16 C/D.
