A US F-16 fighter jet has crashed in South Korea during a training flight. The plane of the US 8th Fighter Wing crashed today at 2:45 a.m. (CEST) “in an agricultural area near the Osan air base” in Gyeonggi province south of Seoul, the US Air Force said. The pilot was able to save himself from the impact using the ejection seat, it said.
There were no injuries or property damage. “There are no civilian houses near the crash site,” Yonhap news agency quoted a South Korean police official as saying. Provincial Governor Kim Dong Yeon said local firefighters put out the burning wreckage.
According to US information, the incident occurred during a routine training flight. An investigation has been initiated. The US is South Korea’s most important ally and has around 28,500 soldiers stationed in the East Asian country.
