The American plane belonged to the US Air Force. The Korean army does not rule out that the crash was caused by an engine problem.
A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashes during training flights in South Korea. It fell into the Yellow Sea. This was reported by Younhap.
The fighter belonged to the 8th Fighter Wing of the US Air Force. It took off from Kunsan Air Base, 178 kilometers from Seoul. During the flight, an emergency occurred, which the pilot managed to report. The signal was received at approximately 8:43 a.m., according to the US Air Force.
The pilot was found and evacuated to the Kunsan air base, where his health condition will be assessed. The South Korean Coast Guard and Navy were involved in the search. The cause of the crash is currently unknown, and the US Air Force will investigate. However, South Korea does not rule out that the accident was caused by problems with the Pratt & Whitney engine.
It is noted that this is the second crash of the American F-16 in 2023. In May, an F-16C fighter jet crashed into farmland near Osan Air Base. The pilot also successfully ejected and was taken to the hospital.
