A United States Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed off the South Korean coast on Wednesday, marking the third incident involving US military aircraft stationed in Korea within the past year.
The crash took place during a training mission over the waters west of the Korean Peninsula, around 8:41 a.m. local time, as reported by Kunsan Air Base, located approximately 110 miles south of Seoul.
The pilot, affiliated with the 8th Fighter Wing, successfully ejected and was rescued about 50 minutes after the crash.
Following the incident, the pilot, who remained conscious, was taken to a medical facility for evaluation.
Colonel Matthew Gaetke, the 8th Fighter Wing commander, expressed gratitude to the Republic of Korea rescue forces and team members for their prompt response in rescuing the pilot.
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The focus has now shifted to the search and recovery of the crashed aircraft.
The cause of the in-flight emergency is currently under investigation, according to the base.
Remarkably, this marks the third crash of an F-16 based in South Korea within a year.
In December, another F-16 from Kunsan crashed off the west coast during training, with the pilot being rescued by South Korean maritime forces.
Further information on that incident was withheld pending the completion of the investigation.
In May 2023, an F-16 crashed into an agricultural area near Osan Air Base, south of Seoul, during training.
Similar to the recent incident, the pilot ejected safely, and the case was referred for investigation.
The F-16 is a key component of the US Air Force’s fighter fleet, constituting about half of its inventory.
With 738 of these single-engine jets in service, the F-16 is widely regarded as a workhorse.
Statistics from Flight Global’s “World Air Forces 2024” indicate that F-16s make up a significant portion of the Air Force’s fighter jet strength.
The Air Force Safety Center reports an annual loss of three to four F-16 units worldwide due to mishaps, as of the last available data from fiscal year 2021.
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