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F-16 Fighting Falcon News

South Korean KF-16D crashes, both pilots eject safety

March 30, 2016 (by Lieven Dewitte) - A RoKAF F-16D block 52 crashed on Wednesday. The jet fighter plunged into an uninhabited hilly area in Cheongsong, 322 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 16:06h without causing any damage to civilians. Both pilots safely ejected.

The ejected pilots were unhurt, the Republic of Korea Air Force said in a brief press release.

The jet from the 19th Fighter Wing based at Chungju/Jungwon air base, North Chungcheong Province, was conducting a mission when the accident took place, it said.

The Air Force is investigating the exact cause of the accident after setting up an emergency accident handling committee.

The previous crash of a South Korean F-16 dates from March 31st, 2009 when Lieutenant Colonel Sohn and Captain Kwak crashed in the Yellow Sea off Taean County, about 150km south-west of Seoul.

This news comes a day after an USAF F-16 crashed in Afghanistan.


Additional images:

Factory fresh RoKAF F-16D block 32 #84-371 sits at Luke AFB awaiting the ferry across the Pacific. Note the US star decal that was only on the right side of the aircraft and the top wing. The RoKAF marks have been oversprayed with water color for easy removal when the aircraft gets 'in country'. [Photo by Kevin Patrick]