The commander of the U.S. Air Force unit in South Korea vowed Thursday to conduct a “thorough” investigation into the crash of a U.S. F-16 fighter jet in waters off the west coast earlier this week.
Lt. Gen. David R. Iverson, commander of the 7th Air Force, made the remark a day after the jet crashed in the Yellow Sea, with the pilot being rescued after ejecting from the plane.
“Soon, a full Safety Investigation Board, comprised of a team of experts, will conduct a thorough investigation of the crash to help prevent future mishaps,” Iverson said in a statement.
The incident marked the third U.S. F-16 crash in nine months, but Iverson said there have been no signs so far the crashes are related.
“Thus far, including the preliminary findings from yesterday’s mishap, there are no indications these incidents are related,” he said.
Last May, an F-16 crashed near Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 60 kilometers south of Seoul, while another F-16 crashed in the Yellow Sea in December. There were no casualties in bot
h cases as the pilots ejected from the jets.
Iverson said a safety investigation for the May crash has concluded, while the one for the incident last month is in its final stages.
The U.S. military requires separate safety and accident investigations in major incidents, with the latter being a legal one to prepare a public report.
The accident investigations into the two F-16 crashes last year are currently under way, according to Maj. Rachel Buitrago, spokesperson for the 7th Air Force.
Meanwhile, Iverson said the pilot from Wednesday’s crash is in good condition and thanked South Korean officials for their rescue efforts. The 7th Air Force also resumed some flying operations Thursday, a day after they were halted due to the crash.
Source: Yonhap News Agency