One pilot died and another one was injured when an Air Force Lockheed U-2 spy plane crashed shortly after taking off in northern California Tuesday, according to the U.S. Airforce.

The crash happened at around 9 a.m. local time (1700 GMT), only a couple of minutes after the plane took off from Beale Air Force Base. The plane crashed into a rural area north of Sacramento, California.

The Air Force initially reported the two crew members had "safely ejected" and were awaiting recovery. Hours later, Sgt. Charity Barrett of Beale Air Force Base confirmed one pilot's death. He did not release more information about injuries of the second pilot.

The pilots were participating in a training mission when the accident happened, according to the Air Force.

"There is always inherent dangers in an ejection. The technology is fantastic, but it is not foolproof," Col. Larry Broadwell, the base commander, said in an afternoon news conference.

"I would match the safety and maintenance record of the U-2 with any of the apparatus the Air Force flies," said Broadwell.

"Everything about the flight today was routine, nothing out of the ordinary as I was told," he added.

The last time a Lockheed U-2 crashed in the area was on Aug. 7, 1996, in Oroville, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The plane crashed into a parking lot outside the offices of the Oroville Mercury Register, killing the pilot and a woman on the ground at that time.

Source : XINHUA