Night Training Incident: F-16C Fighter Jet Crash Causes Forest Fire Being Contained
Yeongju City Advises “Residents and Hikers Evacuate”… Air Force Establishes Response Headquarters
An F-16 fighter jet of the Korean Air Force takes off from Chungju base. Provided by the Air Force, ‘[Financial News] An F-16C (single-seat) fighter jet conducting night training in Yeongju City, Gyeongbuk, crashed, causing the pilot to eject in an emergency. The pilot was rescued after the ejection and is reportedly not in life-threatening condition. ‘,
, ‘On the 25th, the Air Force reported that around 7:31 PM, an F-16C (single-seat) fighter jet from Chungju base crashed in a mountainous area in Yong-san Ri, Anjeong-myeon, Yeongju City, while on a night flight training mission. ‘,
, ‘The crash ignited a fire in the mountain, prompting the fire authorities to issue a level 1 response. They are currently conducting containment efforts on-site with the forest authorities. ‘,
, ‘No civilian casualties have been reported yet, but Yeongju City has sent disaster messages advising “Nearby residents and hikers should evacuate to the village hall immediately.” ‘,
, ‘Fire authorities estimated that about 200 pyeong (approximately 660 square meters) of the area has been burned, and stated that there is currently no concern of further spread. ‘,
, ‘In the emergency situation such as the fighter jet crash, it is observed that the pilot attempted an emergency ejection, successfully deploying a parachute during the process. ‘,
, ‘The pilot on the fighter jet reportedly ejected and informed authorities by reporting “I am caught in a tree 20 meters high” to indicate his location. ‘,
, ‘The Air Force has established an accident response headquarters with the Chief of Staff as the head to investigate the exact details of the aircraft damage and specific circumstances of the incident.\n’]