South Korean fighter jet crashes in night drill Pilot ejects safely

On February 25, an F-16C fighter jet crashed in the Yeongju area of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, but the pilot successfully ejected, the country's Air Force said.

The aircraft, which was based at Cheongju Air Base, went down in mountainous terrain near Yeongju at around 19:31 during nighttime exercises, Caliber.Az reports via South Korean media.

“The pilot successfully ejected, has been confirmed uninjured, and there have been no reports of civilian damage at this time,” the Air Force said in a statement to reporters.

At 20:10, firefighters located the pilot, who had become entangled in a tree at a height of approximately 20 meters while descending by parachute. He was rescued from the tree at around 21:48 and taken to hospital. The Air Force said his condition is stable.

The military has established a special commission to investigate the cause of the crash.

By Khagan Isayev