Officials of the Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina have confirmed that an F-16 fighter jet had crashed, while on a routine training mission on Tuesday night.

According to 95.5 WSB Radio, the lone pilot of the U.S Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcon that crashed has died, but his name is being withheld until relatives are notified.

A report from the Stars and Stripes said the jet, which belongs to the 20th Fighter Wing in Shaw Air Force Base, went down late Tuesday at around 11:30 pm. The air force base emergency workers rushed to the scene of the accident. The aircraft was even shown burning fiercely on the base's official social media page. 

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the plane crash. But base officials asked the public to avoid assumptions out of respect and consideration to the pilot's immediate family. 

"We ask for your patience and to avoid speculation until we release more information," said the statement posted on the base's official Facebook page.

The latest incident is just one of the series of tragedies that involve the U.S. Air Force in the span of about two months. An F-35A Lightning II also crashed in Eglin Air Force Base in Florida late May. It was the second episode of a jet fighter accident inside the air force base in less than a week, with an F-22 Raptor going down on May 15, according to Air Force Times.

One of the most prominent USAF posts in the country is the Shaw Air Force Base. It houses the 20th Fighter Wing of the 9th Air Force. At the same time, the wing incorporates three squadrons of F-16 fighters namely the 55th Squadron, the 77th Squadron, and the 79th Squadron.

As mentioned in The Aviationist, it hasn't been revealed from which of the three squadrons the crashed F-16 jet fighter belonged.

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