U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes off South Korean coast, pilot safely ejects

Thomas Maresca
·1 min read
UPI
A U.S. F-16 fighter jet, seen here at Aviano Air Base, Italy, crashed in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of South Korea Wednesday. The pilot safely ejected, the U.S. Air Force said. File Photo by Ericka A. Woolever/NATO

SEOUL, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- A U.S. F-16 fighter jet stationed in South Korea crashed in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, the U.S. Air Force said, with the pilot ejecting safely.

The F-16 experienced an "in-flight emergency over the Yellow Sea and crashed at approximately 8:41 a.m. today," the U.S. 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement sent to reporters.

The unidentified pilot has been recovered, the statement said, adding that he is conscious and was transported to a medical facility for assessment. An accident investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the crash.

The plane was based at Kunsan Air Base in the west coast city of Gunsan, around 110 miles south of Seoul.

"We are very thankful to the Republic of Korea rescue forces and all of our teammates who made the swift recovery of our pilot possible," Col. Matthew Gaetke, 8th Fighter Wing commander, said. "Now we will shift our focus to search and recovery of the aircraft."

The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.

The accident marks the third time a U.S. F-16 has crashed in South Korea in less than a year.

In December, an 8th Fighter Wing F-16 crashed into the Yellow Sea during routine training. In May, an F-16 of the U.S. 51st Fighter Wing crashed near Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 40 miles south of Seoul. Both pilots successfully ejected from the aircraft.