US F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes off South Korea, Pilot Rescued (representational image @USForcesKorea)

A US F-16 fighter jet has crashed into the waters off the western coast of South Korea, as per local media report. Reportedly, the pilot ejected from the aircraft and is believed to be rescued. The incident happened near Gunsan of North Jeolla province, as reported by Yonhap news agency. The American troops in South Korea, US Forces Korea confirmed the aircraft crash. The West Coast city of Gunsan is home for several US military bases in South Korea.

In statement the US military said, “An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing here experienced an in-flight emergency over the West Sea and crashed at approximately 8:41am (2341 GMT) today,”.

The military thanked the Republic of South Korea rescue forces for aiding in the “swift recovery” of the pilot. The focus is now shifted to the recovery of the aircraft.

The statement said information on the in-flight emergency will not be made available until thorough safety and accident investigation was followed.

Since May 2023, this is the third F-16 fighter jet crash reported from South Korea. A US F-16 fighter jet crashed in December, which according to the US military, was an “in-flight emergency”. The pilot in that fighter jet was also rescued.

And in May 2023, Washington’s a F-16 fighter jet crashed while performing a routine training exercise in a farming area at South of Seoul. The pilot from that jet also ejected safely and no further casualty was reported.

US is Seoul’s important security ally, and around 28,500 troops are based in South Korea to help the country in protecting it from the Nuclear loaded North Korea.

Further details about the incident will be followed.