A U.S. Air Force F-16 crashed at a German air base on Tuesday afternoon during a routine training mission. The aircraft was returning from a flight with three other F-16s when the crash occurred. The pilot safely ejected and received medical attention after the incident.
The crash occurred at about 2:30 p.m. local time at Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany. The F-16 was assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing, which is based at Spangdahlem.
The other three aircraft in the group landed safely at a different air base. Air Force officials later identified that location as Ramstein Air Base, another major U.S. military installation in Germany.
Emergency crews responded to the crash scene with assistance from German firefighters and medical personnel. No injuries to people on the ground were reported. The extent of the pilot’s injuries was not immediately disclosed.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by officials at the base. The 52nd Fighter Wing said additional information would be released as it becomes available.
Spangdahlem Air Base is located in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is home to the 480th Fighter Squadron and more than two dozen F-16 Fighting Falcons. The squadron specializes in the Wild Weasel mission, which involves locating and suppressing enemy air defenses.
The base supports U.S. Air Force and NATO operations and has hosted aircraft involved in deployments elsewhere in Europe and the Middle East. Officials said there was no immediate indication that Tuesday’s flight was connected to combat operations.
This incident happened just five days after another F-16 crashed in Michigan. That aircraft belonged to the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing and went down during a training mission in Grand Traverse County on September 17.
That earlier crash also involved a single pilot on board who was safe and conscious and receiving medical attention. The pilot ejected before the aircraft struck the ground. Local officials temporarily evacuated people living within about a mile of the crash because of concerns about hazardous material from the wreckage.
Residents were later allowed to return. Health officials also said testing found nearby well water was safe to use.
The investigation into the Michigan crash is also ongoing. Air traffic control communications indicated that a possible bird strike may have occurred before that pilot ejected, but investigators have not announced an official cause.
The German accident marked the second U.S. Air Force F-16 crash in five days. Both pilots survived after ejecting from their aircraft.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine fighter that first entered U.S. military service in the late 1970s. Thousands have been produced for the United States and allied countries. The aircraft remains a major part of U.S. and NATO air forces despite the growing use of newer fighters such as the F-35.
The U.S. Air Force did not provide further details about the German crash at this time. Investigators will examine the aircraft wreckage and other evidence as they work to determine why the F-16 went down while returning to Spangdahlem.
IMAGE: Spangdahlem Air Base, F-16 Fighting Falcons 2010 Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Staci Miller CC0