[Breaking] Engine Fire During Takeoff of KF-16 Fighter Jet at Seosan Air Base... Pilot Ejects Safely

Air Force F-16 fighter jet [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] An accident occurred in which an Air Force KF-16 fighter jet experienced a malfunction during takeoff roll, causing the pilot to eject in an emergency.

According to the Air Force, at around 2:31 p.m. that day, a KF-16 fighter jet belonging to the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing in Seosan, Chungnam, experienced a malfunction during takeoff roll, and the pilot ejected in an emergency. Due to this accident, the 20th Fighter Wing has decided to suspend KF-16 flight operations for the time being.

The Air Force stated, "The pilot is safe, and the accident aircraft is located between runways within the unit," adding, "A flight accident response headquarters, headed by the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff, has been formed to investigate the exact cause."

The 20th Fighter Wing is the unit where a recent case of a non-commissioned officer's death due to sexual harassment occurred, and it is currently under investigation by the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.