A US F-16 fighter jet crashed in waters off South Korea’s west coast Wednesday morning, local media reported, with the pilot rescued after ejecting from the aircraft.
“The fighter jet crashed into the water and the rescued pilot is safe,” news agency Yonhap reported, adding the accident happened near Gunsan, North Jeolla province. US Forces Korea, which oversees American troops stationed in South Korea, confirmed the Yonhap report and said it would release details of the incident shortly.
A US F-16 fighter jet crashed in December in South Korea during a routine training exercise after experiencing what the US military said was “an in-flight emergency”. The pilot was also rescued in that case.
In May last year, a US F-16 jet crashed during a routine training exercise in a farming area south of Seoul. The pilot ejected safely and the accident caused no other casualties.
Washington is Seoul’s most important security ally and stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to help protect it from the nuclear-armed North. In Japan, the US military announced late last year that it was grounding its fleet of V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft following a deadly crash that killed eight US airmen.
(With agency inputs)
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