US F-16 jet crashes in South Korea, pilot rescued after ejecting

A US F-16 fighter jet crashed in South Korea on Monday while on a routine training flight and the pilot was rescued after ejecting when the aircraft experienced an "in-flight emergency," the US Air Force unit stationed in the country said.

The pilot was rescued in the Yellow Sea by the South Korean coast guard and returned to the Kunsan Air Base, the 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement. The cause of the emergency was being investigated, it said.

The pilot took off from the air base, used jointly by the US and South Korean air forces, on a routine training flight and was forced to eject from the aircraft after experiencing an unspecified in-flight emergency.

The 8th Fighter Wing, which is composed of two F-16 squadrons, said the cause of the in-flight emergency is being investigated.

"We are grateful for the safe recovery of our Airman by our ROK Allies and that the pilot is in good condition,” Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, the 8th Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement, referring to the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

The air base located in the South Korean west coast city of Gunsan is one of the two main air bases used by the US military in the country.

A US Air Force Osprey aircraft crashed off southern Japan on Nov. 29 during a training mission, killing all eight people on board.

Agencies