2 confirmed dead after plane collides with F-16 fighter jet over South Carolina

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Air Force F-16 jet smashed into Cessna C150 over South Carolina rice field
Witnesses described midair collision on Tuesday as 'a ball of fire in the air'
F-16 pilot ejected to safety and was taken to airbase in unknown condition
Two people traveling on the smaller plane have since been confirmed dead
It is unclear whether anyone else was on the Cessna with them at the time
Photos taken at crash site show flames flickering around wreckage of F-16
Military jet's engine landed at campground, 11 miles north of Charleston
Officials are on-site and the NTSB has launched a probe into the collision

Published: 14:41 EST, 7 July 2015 | Updated: 21:44 EST, 7 July 2015

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Two civilians were killed when their small private plane collided with a military fighter jet in mid-air over South Carolina on Tuesday morning, sending plane parts and debris crashing to the ground.

The Cessna C150 was involved in the smash with the Air Force F-16 jet, nicknamed the 'Fighting Falcon', at around 11am over Berkeley County, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

The pilot of the F-16 ejected to safety following the incident, which took place 11 miles north of Charleston. He was taken to Shaw Air Force Base for observation, Lieutenant Jenny Hyden said.

His condition was not disclosed. No-one else was flying on the single-seat jet, Lt. Hyden said. For several hours after the collision, officials did not reveal any details of those on board the Cessna.

However, it has since emerged that two people flying on the smaller plane have died. The pair's relationship remains unknown, and it is unclear whether anyone else was travelling with them.

Scroll down for video

Aftermath: This photo, taken by witness Amy Ramsey Dye, shows the wreckage of a midair smash that occurred between a military fighter jet and a small plane on Tuesday, claiming the lives of two civilians

Fiery: The Air Force F-16 jet, nicknamed the 'Fighting Falcon', collided with the Cessna C150 at 11am, over a South Carolina rice plantation, the FAA said. Above, flames flicker around the wreckage of one of the planes

Campground strike: The pilot of the F-16 ejected to safety following the crash, which took place about 11 miles north of Charleston, officials said. Above, part of the aircraft's engine landed in a Berkeley County campsite

Water search: North Charleston police search for the civilians on board the Cessna following the fatal crash

Investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) tweeted on Tuesday: 'NTSB investigating this morning's mid-air collision between an F-16 military aircraft and a Cessna 150 in Moncks Corner, SC'

It also remains unclear whether anyone was hurt on the ground.

A witness reported that the military plane broadsided the smaller Cessna, said Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury, adding that debris was scattered over a wide area following the smash.

During a news conference on Tuesday, officials said that the debris rained down on a swath of marshes and rice fields. However, part of the jet's engine apparently landed in a nearby campsite.

The plane bits that landed on wet ground will be removed by crews in specially-designed boats.

'We have airboats and boats that are designed to run in the mud,' Salisbury said.

Wayne Ware, who lives near the crash site, told The Post and Courier of Charleston that he was going for a walk when he heard the crash happen. He did not see the initial impact, but heard it.

Officials speak out after plane collides with F-16 fighter jet

Jet wreckage: The F-16 pilot was taken to Shaw Air Force Base for observation, base spokesman Lt Jenny Hyden said. His condition was not disclosed. No-one else was flying on the single-seat jet, Lt. Hyden said

Smash: For several hours after the collision, officials did not reveal any details of those on board the Cessna. However, it has since emerged that two people flying on the smaller plane have died. The pair's relationship remains unknown. Above, the F-16 chopped a tree in half as it plummeted into a wooded area in the county

Wheel: A witness reported that the military plane broadsided the smaller Cessna, said Berkeley County Coroner Bill Salisbury, adding that debris was scattered over a wide area following the horrific smash

Tail: On Tuesday, officials said that most of the debris was in a marshy area. Above, the end of the F-16's tail

F-16 fighter jet collides with small plane over South Carolina

'I turned around, and I saw the jet. Pieces started falling out of the sky,' Ware told AP.

Another witness told NBC that the mid-air collision was like 'a ball of fire in the air'.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened a probe into the Berkeley County collision and is sending an investigator, said Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the board.

At around noon on Tuesday, the board wrote on Twitter: 'NTSB investigating this morning's mid-air collision between an F-16 military aircraft and a Cessna 150 in Moncks Corner, SC.'

The Air Force has flown F-16s since the 1970s, though very few active-duty squadrons still fly them.

Emergency: The plane bits that landed on wet ground will be removed by crews in specially-designed boats. 'We have airboats and boats that are designed to run in the mud,' Salisbury said. Above, the crash wreckage

In flames: The Air Force has flown F-16s since the 1970s, though very few active-duty squadrons still fly them. Above, a piece of the 'Fighting Falcon' that crashed on Tuesday morning is pictured in flames on the ground

Roadblock: State police set up a roadblock to the area where the F-16 fighter aircraft collided with the Cessna

Search: Monks Corner Fire and Rescue personnel return from searching a residential area in Berkeley County

F-16s from Shaw Air Force Base, around 35 miles east of Columbia, routinely fly training missions over eastern South Carolina and the Atlantic.

The smaller plane was a Cessna 150, according to the FAA, a two-seat plane that debuted in 1959 and remains one of the most common single-engine planes in the U.S.

The Cessna 150's maximum altitude is about 15,000 feet, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Most models weigh about 1,500 pounds when fully fueled.

In contrast, an F-16 is about 50 feet long and weighs nearly 10 tons, not counting fuel or weapons.

An investigation into Tuesday's crash is ongoing.

Crews: Firefighters are seen at the campground, where part of the jet's engine landed following the collision

Militiary aircraft: F-16s (file picture) from Shaw Air Force Base, around 35 miles east of Columbia, routinely fly training missions over South Carolina and the Atlantic. The aircraft are 50 feet long and weigh nearly 10 tons