A F-16 fighter plane returning to March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley crashed after its pilot ejected, base officials said on Thursday. The jet crashed into a building off the base, on Van Buren Boulevard near the 215 Freeway, about 3:45 p.m. The pilot's condition was not immediately known. The crash ignited a fire but it "wasn't very big," the base's deputy fire chief, Timothy Holliday said. Authorities did not have information on other injuries, and it was not clear whether the jet was carrying ordnance or other dangerous materials. A person who was in the building when the plane crashed recorded the immediate aftermath on camera and published it on Facebook. The freeway was closed in both directions an hour after the crash, according to California Highway Patrol logs. Images from the scene broadcast by local news agencies showed a hole in the roof of an industrial building next to the freeway where the jet apparently crashed. The building was loaded with pallets of boxes and other items. No smoke or fire was visible at the scene. A photo from inside the building showed the wreckage buried in twisted metal and debris. Agencies
