U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes off South Korea, pilot ejects and is rescued

A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed Monday off South Korea all through a routine teaching practice after experiencing “an in-flight emergency,” the U.S. military said, together with the pilot ejected and was rescued.

The incident involving an F-16 Combating Falcon assigned to the eighth Fighter Wing occurred early Monday over the Yellow Sea, the U.S. Air Energy said in a press launch.

“The pilot ejected the airplane. The pilot has been recovered by Republic of Korea Maritime Forces, awake and in regular state of affairs,” the assertion said, together with he might be evaluated extra once more at base.

“We’re grateful for the protected restoration of our Airman by our ROK Allies and that the pilot is in good state of affairs,” said Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, the eighth Fighter Wing’s commander, in keeping with the assertion.

The USAF said the rationale for the in-flight emergency was unknown.

“The incident is likely to be completely investigated,” it said, together with that the pilot’s title and extra phrase on his state of affairs wouldn’t be launched.

South Korea’s safety ministry declined to comment.

In Would possibly, a U.S. F-16 jet crashed all through a routine teaching practice in a farming house south of Seoul, South Korea. The pilot ejected safely and the accident precipitated no completely different casualties.

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

In neighboring Japan, the U.S. military launched closing week that it was grounding its fleet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft following a deadly crash that killed eight U.S. airmen.