A pilot escaped from a falling F-16 fighter plane that had crashed during a training flight in Thailand.

Villager Yuthapong Yoopakdee captured the moment the pilot ejected himself from the plane after the aircraft plummeted into the middle of a field in Chaiyaphum province on March 8. A cloud of black smoke can be seen rising from the crash site.

The injured pilot was lying in the middle of the field before the rescue team provided first aid at the scene and delivered him to Jaturas hospital. A fire truck came to spray water to stop the blaze at the site.

Military personnel from the Air Force also brought a helicopter to inspect the scene. Debris was found scattered hundreds of meters in radius.

Yuthapong said: ‘My friend and I brought buffaloes to graze in the field when we heard an airplane sound in the distance. We looked up at the sky and saw the aircraft staggering strangely.’

‘After a few seconds, I saw the aircraft crash in the middle of the field about 500 meters away from where I was. There was a loud explosion before a fire followed but the pilot escaped in time.’