BEIJING - The pilot of a Chinese fighter jet parachuted to safety before the aircraft crashed during a training in South China on Saturday, according to military source.

The fighter jet wrecked at an open area near a town in Lingao county, Hainan province, causing no collateral damage on the ground, said the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command Navy in a statement.

It said that the aftermath of the accident is being handled, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.