US F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes in South Korean Sea; Pilot Safely Ejects

It was the second crash of an F-16 in just over a month in the country.
US F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes in South Korean Sea; Pilot Safely Ejects
U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly in formation during U.S.-Philippines joint air force exercises dubbed Cope Thunder at Clark Air Base in Mabalacat, Pampanga province, Philippines, on May 9, 2023. Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
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SEOUL, South Korea—A U.S. Air Force pilot safely ejected from an F-16 fighter jet that crashed into waters off South Korea’s southwestern coast on Wednesday, in the second such crash in less than two months.

The unidentified pilot was conscious and was transported to a medical facility for assessment, the U.S. 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement. It said it closely worked with U.S. and South Korean mission partners to recover the pilot, who experienced an unspecified in-flight emergency and ejected before the plane crashed into sea.