A American F-16 fighter plane crashed this Wednesday into the water in front of the west coast of south korea. The pilot managed to expel him in time before impact and was rescued a few minutes later.
“The fighter plane crashed into the water and the rescued pilot is safe“Yonhap news agency reported, adding that the plane crash occurred nearby Gunsanin the province of North Jeolla.
Shortly thereafter, the US Army released an official statement on the matter: “An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing suffered a flight emergency over the Western Sea and crashed around 8.41am today.”
“The pilot ejected safely and was recovered around 9.30am. He is conscious and was taken to a medical center. for evaluation,” he concluded in the message, also thanking South Korea for its cooperation during the rescue operation.
An American F-16 fighter plane. Photo: AFP. For his part, Colonel Matthew C. Gaetke, commander of the 8th Fighter Wing, said: “We are very grateful to the ROK rescue forces and all our colleagues who made the rapid recovery of our pilot possible.”
“We now shift our attention to the search and recovery of the aircraft. “Information on the causes of the in-flight emergency will not be available until thorough safety and accident investigations are concluded,” she added.
In December and May of the previous year, two more F-16 fighters crashed in South Korea during routine training exercises. In both cases the pilot was unharmed.
The United States is South Korea’s main security ally and has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.