USFK Pilot Crashes in West Sea... Rescued by ROK Air Force

Air Force Search and Rescue Team Deployed... Transported to Medical Facility
USFK F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes for the Third Time in 8 Months

An F-16 fighter jet belonging to the United States Forces Korea (USFK) crashed into the Yellow Sea off the coast of Seosan, Chungnam, on the 31st during a flight. This is the third USFK F-16 crash since May of last year.

Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter jet

According to the military on the day, and reports from the USFK and the Coast Guard, an F-16 fighter jet from the US 7th Air Force's 8th Fighter Wing took off from Gunsan Air Base and experienced an emergency around 8:41 a.m. while in flight, prompting the pilot to eject. The pilot safely ejected and was rescued by the Republic of Korea Air Force and Coast Guard around 9:30 a.m. He was conscious at the time of rescue and is reported to be in no life-threatening condition.

Although there were large civilian vessels near the accident area, the pilot's rescue was difficult, so two Black Hawk (UH-60) helicopters from the Air Force's 6th Search and Rescue Squadron were dispatched urgently. An air rescue specialist jumped into the sea, tied the pilot with a rescue rope, and lifted him into the helicopter, which then transported him to a medical facility operated by the USFK.

Colonel Matthew C. Catkey, commander of the 8th Fighter Wing, said, "We are very grateful to all our colleagues and the Republic of Korea rescue personnel who quickly rescued our pilot," adding, "We will focus on the search and rescue of the aircraft." The South Korean and US military authorities are investigating the cause and circumstances of the fighter jet crash.

The USFK F-16 fighter jets have crashed three times in the past eight months. On May 6 of last year, a USFK F-16 crashed near farmland in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. The pilot safely ejected, and no civilian casualties occurred, but if the crashed fighter jet had fallen on a residential area, it could have resulted in casualties.

On December 11 of the same year, an F-16 that took off from Gunsan Air Base crashed into the Yellow Sea, and the pilot who ejected just before the crash was safely rescued. This recent USFK F-16 crash occurred only about 50 days after the previous accident. The USFK has not yet announced the causes of the F-16 crashes that occurred in May and December last year.