US F-16 jet crashes in SKorea, pilot rescued after ejecting
PHOTO CAPTION: A U.S. Air Force crew chief waits to marshal an F-16 Fighting Falcon during a joint training exercise in Rionegro, Colombia, July 19, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Duncan C. Bevan via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
SEOUL (Reuters) - A U.S. 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 U.S. 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 unit commander, Colonel Matthew Gaetke, said he was grateful for the pilot's recovery and that he was in good condition, the statement said.
The air base located in the South Korean west coast city of Gunsan is one of the two main air bases used by the U.S. military in the country.
(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies)
