A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing crashed at Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany on Tuesday, with the pilot ejecting safely and receiving medical care. The incident happened at about 2:30 p.m. local time in Rhineland-Palatinate, and emergency response teams were deployed to the scene as the cause was put under investigation.
The aircraft was operating from the U.S. base at Spangdahlem, which hosts F-16 activity in Europe. Local authorities in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm district sent fire and disaster protection units after the crash, while military officials said further information would follow as it became available.
Initial local reports placed the jet near the runway approach area and close to the base golf course, although those details have not been independently confirmed by the official statement. The crash comes days after another U.S. F-16 mishap, making it the second known USAF F-16 incident in a week.