An investigation was continuing Friday into the crash of an armed F-16 Fighting Falcon that plunged into a warehouse just west of March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley, injuring the pilot and a dozen people at the crash site.
Col. Thomas McNamara, vice commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base, confirmed Friday that the F-16 that crashed into a warehouse was carrying a “standard armament” package, although he’s not providing specifics of what types of weaponry was aboard. He also confirms that the armaments have been recovered from the jet.
The jet, attached to the 114th Fighter Wing in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, went down about 3:45 p.m. Thursday, going through the roof of the See Water Inc. warehouse at 22220 Opportunity Way, near Meridian Parkway, in the Arnold Heights neighborhood, just off of Interstate 215.
Both sides of the freeway were closed within an hour of the F-16 going down, and the entire freeway remained closed in the area of the crash Friday, impacting commuters south into the Temecula Valley and north into San Bernardino. The California Highway Patrol indicated the 215 may be gradually reopened sometime Friday afternoon.
Metrolink tracks paralleling the freeway were also closed, meaning no service on the Perris Valley Line Friday. However, bus service was being offered between Moreno Valley and downtown Perris, according to the Riverside Transit Agency.
The F-16 pilot, who was on a training mission for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, walked away after parachuting onto the end of Runway 32 and was taken to a hospital for examination, according to March officials. He did not require hospitalization.
March spokeswoman Linda Welz said 12 people in or around the warehouse were treated for minor injuries. They were all released, officials said.
During a briefing near the crash scene Friday morning, officials declined to discuss specifics regarding the crash investigation, and they would not confirm the armaments aboard the F-16, which is capable of carrying air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, as well as a 20mm cannon.
Another briefing is scheduled Friday afternoon, when officials are expected to release additional details.
Fire department battalion chiefs identified what they believed to be ordnance during an immediate post-crash search of the warehouse Thursday, prompting the freeway closure and evacuations of surrounding buildings, according to reports from the scene.
Col. Thomas McNamara, vice commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March, was tight-lipped during a Friday morning press briefing about possible armaments aboard the jet, saying only that the base’s explosives-removal team worked through the night to secure the scene.
An unnamed Defense Department official told ABC News “was flying with a standard armament configuration as part of its Operation Noble Eagle commitments,” a reference to a national homeland security program. The officials said the armaments have been “secured and will be disposed of in accordance with Air Force policies and regulations.”
The F-16 punched a large hole in the roof of the 500,000-square-foot building, triggering the on-site sprinkler system, according to the fire department. The warehouse did not catch fire.
The structure is stacked with plastic pipes, aluminum awnings and other materials, according to the CHP, which received the 911 calls.
“Anything that may be in (the warehouse) is a concern, obviously not just to (firefighters), but to the military,” Riverside County Fire Department Capt. Fernando Herrera said Thursday. “So we’re going to take whatever precautions are necessary.”
Firefighters and military personnel re-entered the building around 10 p.m. Thursday to assess the danger, but nothing was disclosed.
In Riverside, Meridian Parkway between Alessandro and Van Buren Boulevards, and Van Buren Boulevard between Village West Drive and I-215, were closed while the investigation and wreckage recovery continued.
March is home to the 452nd Air Mobility Wing, an Air Force Reserve component that utilizes mammoth C-17 transports, KC-135 refueling tankers and C-130 transports.
Fighter jets are a rare sight at the base.
The last tactical jet crash at March occurred in 1989, when it was still an active-duty Air Force installation. That accident caused a fatality.