US F-16 fighter jet crashes in the Yellow Sea

According to Yonhap News Agency on the 11th, an F-16 fighter jet of the US military stationed in South Korea crashed in the Yellow Sea, and the pilot escaped. According to the US military stationed in South Korea, an F-16 fighter jet belonging to the 8th Combat Flight Regiment of the US Seventh Air Force took off from Gunsan Air Force Base in Jeollabuk do on the morning of the 11th for routine training. Shortly after takeoff, an emergency occurred, and the pilot successfully escaped. The fighter jet crashed into the western waters of the peninsula. After the incident, the American pilot was rescued and sent to the Gunshan Air Force Base. The cause of the accident is currently unknown, and the US military will conduct a thorough investigation.Meanwhile, the South Korean Air Force also released the investigation results of the KF-16 fighter jet crash in September this year on the 11th, stating that the accident was caused by rubber seals falling into the engine compartment. On September 11th, Yonhap News Agency reported that a KF-16 fighter jet from the South Korean Air Force crashed while taking off from its mission at Ruishan Base in Chungcheongnam do, South Korea. The pilot urgently escaped. After the incident, the South Korean Air Force began conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident, analyzing the wreckage of the fighter jet, automatic flight recorders, engine damage, and listening to the pilot's statements. The investigation results showed that the rubber seal fell out of the engine compartment and fell into the engine, causing damage to some parts of the engine. The aircraft then stalled and crashed. The South Korean Air Force stated that the South Korean military has determined that the accident was not caused by aging or poor maintenance of components, and the reason may be due to defects in the components. At present, there are more than 150 KF-16 and some F-15K fighter jets belonging to the South Korean Air Force that use the same engine as the aircraft involved. The South Korean Air Force grounded the relevant aircraft models after a crash in September. With the results of the accident investigation released, the South Korean Air Force plans to inspect the installation of rubber seals on KF-16 and some F-15K fighter jets, and will restart flights in stages starting from the 18th.The South Korean Air Force spent a huge amount of money to purchase the US F-35 stealth fighter, which also collided with an eagle and was forced to retire due to expensive repair costs. According to a report by Seoul Economic Daily on October 30th, a South Korean F-35 fighter jet collided with an eagle in January last year, causing severe damage. At that time, the repair cost offered by the US was as high as 140 billion Korean won, while the price for South Korea to purchase a new F-35 aircraft was only 110 billion Korean won, which means the repair cost is even more expensive than buying a new one. Faced with such a situation, the South Korean Air Force had to retire this fighter jet, which only entered service in 2020, and it became a laughing stock for a while.