F-16 Crashes in Germany; Pilot Successfully Ejects

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed on a local mission in Germany on Sept. 22.

The pilot ejected safely and received medical care, Air Force officials said. The fighter was assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base.

In a statement, the wing said the jet was returning to base after a four-ship “routine training flight” when it crashed on approach to Spangdahlem’s sole runway around 2:30 p.m. local time. The incident occurred on base property near the runway. The three other F-16s diverted to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and landed safely. Air Force officials did not provide further details on the extent of the pilot’s injuries.

The wing said that the cause of the crash is under investigation. Air Force emergency personnel and local German rescue crews responded to the incident.

This is the second F-16 crash for the Air Force in five days—a Viper belonging to the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing crashed during a training mission in Michigan on Sept. 17. The pilot in that crash ejected safely as well.

The 52nd Fighter Wing has one squadron of F-16s that specializes in the “Wild Weasel” mission of suppressing enemy air defenses. The U.S. military has deployed fighters from the unit to the Middle East twice during the seven-month conflict with Iran. Forward deployments typically consist of a dozen fighter jets, and Spangdahlem has over two dozen F-16s that comprise the 52nd Fighter Wing’s sole fighter squadron, the 480th Fighter Squadron. The 480th is permanently based at Spangdahlem as part of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

Images posted to social media and captured by local press show a charred hunk of the F-16, including what appears to be its engine, amid a wide debris field. Black smoke billowed over the base as emergency personnel responded to the scene.