US Air Force F-16 jet crashes in South Korea, pilot survives after ejecting

News, US December 12, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

A United States Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed in South Korea on December 11, 2023, while it was on a routine training flight. The pilot was rescued after surviving the crash through last-minute ejection.

The U.S. Air Force unit stationed in South Korea reported the incident by stating that the plane experienced an “in-flight emergency” which led to the crash. The 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement that the pilot was rescued in the Yellow Sea by the South Korean Coast Guard and returned to the air base. the cause of the emergency was being investigated, it added.

The unit commander of the 8th Fighter Wing in South Korea, Colonel Matthew Gaetke, said he was grateful for the pilot’s recovery. Gaetke added that apart from suffering some minor injuries as a result of the ejection, the pilot was in good condition.

“We are grateful for the safe recovery of our Airman by our ROK Allies and that the pilot is in good condition,” he said as he referred to the Republic of Korea (ROK), South Korea’s official name.

The incident involved an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet. The pilot took off from the Kunsan Air Base, used jointly by the U.S. and South Korean air forces, on a routine training flight. He was forced to eject from the aircraft after experiencing an unspecified in-flight emergency. The South Korean authorities are yet to comment on the crash.

*^{Three U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons fly over the Pacific Ocean, February 10, 2022. (Image Credit: U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Matthew Lotz)}*

Recent incidents

The incident comes less than two weeks after a U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed into the sea off the coast of Japan, killing all eight crew members aboard. So far, seven of the eight bodies have been recovered from the crash site.

According to the Japanese coast guards, the crash happened approximately 3 kilometers off the coast of Yakushima Island into the sea in western Japan. The crash site was first indicated by the local fishing vessels in the vicinity who also discovered three of the crew members in the nearby waters.

Following the crash, the U.S. military in Japan announced last week that it is grounding its fleet of V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft until further notice.

Earlier in May, another U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed into a farmland near Osan Air Base, with the pilot having escaped safely through ejection. No civilian casualties were reported during the crash reported.

F-16 Fighting Falcon jets at Kunsan Air Base — ^{80th Fighter Generation Squadron Airmen observe an F-16 Fighting Falcon while conducting preflight systems inspections on F-16 Fighting Falcons during Vigilant Defense at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, on October 28, 2023. (Image Credit: U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Karla Parra)}

The crash occurred on May 6, 2023, in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul. The aircraft, which belonged to the 51st Fighter Wing command, was on a routine training flight.

Washington is Seoul’s most important security ally and has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea to help protect it from nuclear-armed North Korea.