Wednesday, June 21st 2017, 3:38 pm
The pilot of an F-16 fighter jet ejected after his aircraft caught fire during takeoff from Ellington Airport in Houston Wednesday.
The jet was on a training flight flight for the North American Aerospace Defense Command when the incident happened.
Authorities say the pilot was treated for minor injuries following the crash around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
The jet belongs to the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 138th Fighter Wing in Tulsa, which has a detachment based at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston.
A photo by Christopher Ebdon of AV8PIX shows the jet has the Native American head dress and the word "Tulsa" on its tail featured on aircraft flown by the 138th Fighter Wing.
The Continental NORAD Regional Public Affairs office didn't know if the pilot belonged to the Houston detachment or if he is based in Tulsa. It did not immediately release his name.
A city statement says Ellington Airport, part of the Houston Airport System, was evacuated for several hours Wednesday amid the initial investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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