US fighter jet drops fuel tanks over Yellow Sea
An F-16 fighter jet takes off at Spangdahlem U.S. Air Base near the German-Belgian border in Spangdahlem, Germany, June 14, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap
A U.S. F-16 fighter jet on Thursday dropped two of its fuel tanks while flying over waters off Korea's west coast but returned safely to its base, a U.S. military official said.
The F-16 of the 8th Fighter Wing dropped the tanks during an "emergency" incident at around 10 a.m. in the waters near the reclaimed land of Saemangeum, about 200 kilometers south of Seoul, after taking off from Kunsan Air Base in the nearby city of Gunsan, according to the official at the unit.
The pilot was still able to return to base safely, the official said, noting that an investigation into the incident will take place.
The latest incident came after a U.S. F-16 crashed in waters off Gunsan on Jan. 31, which marked the third U.S. F-16 crash in Korea in a year.
In December, an F-16 crashed into the Yellow Sea during routine training, while another F-16 crashed near Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, in May.
There were no casualties in all three crashes as the pilots ejected from the aircraft. (Yonhap)