A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed off the coast of South Korea on Monday morning local time. The pilot safely ejected and is in stable condition.
According to a press release from Kunsan Air Base, an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing “experienced an in-flight emergency over the Yellow Sea” just before 9 a.m.
Republic of Korea Maritime Forces recovered the pilot, who officials described as “awake and in stable condition.”
“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, 8th FW commander, said in a statement.
It is unclear what caused the “in-flight emergency,” but the incident will be “thoroughly investigated,” officials said.
The incident comes days after a United States CV-22 Osprey military aircraft crashed off the coast of Japan’s Yakushima Island.
The Osprey aircraft experienced an “emergency water landing” at roughly 2:47 p.m. local time. After the crash, the 10th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters noted that it had dispatched aircraft and a patrol boat to the crash site.
A Japanese Coast Guard spokesperson told NBC News that the aircraft landed in the ocean near Yakushima, which is located approximately 45 miles south of Japan’s main island of Kyushu.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
