SEOUL – A fighter jet of the United States Army crashed into waters off the coast of South Korea during a routine sortie.
A statement issued by US Kunsan Air Base said F-16 crashed into the sea on Monday after the plane experienced an in-flight emergency over the Yellow Sea. It further said pilot ejected the jet, and was later recovered.
The crash reportedly occurred near US Air Force base in Gunsan. Meanwhile, Korea’s defence officials have not confirmed the incident.
The cause of the crash was being probed, US officials said, expressing relief for pilot’s recovery.
US air base was one of the two main air bases used by Washington in the country.
This is the second crash in a year as earlier another F-16 jet crashed during a routine training exercise near Seoul. The pilot ejected safely and the accident caused no other casualties.
South Korea and Washington intensified drills in the region in the wake of North Korea’s ballistic missile tests. As of Dec 2023, there are over 28,000 US forces deployed in South Korea under defense pact.
