An F-16 military aircraft crashed at the US Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. One person was injured in the incident, while the pilot reportedly managed to eject.
The incident was reported by SWR and Bild.
The crash occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Spangdahlem Air Base in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Germany’s air navigation service told SWR that the aircraft involved was an F-16 fighter jet. According to the service, the crash happened after a training flight.
Local residents reported seeing a large column of black smoke rising above the base. Birthe Thomsen, the mayor of Speicher, said she saw the aircraft rapidly losing altitude before smoke appeared over the crash site.
According to SWR, citing informed sources, two aircraft took off from the base that afternoon. One later crashed, while the pilot apparently used the ejection seat and managed to leave the aircraft.
Authorities in the Bitburg-Prüm district confirmed that one person was injured in the aviation incident. No further details about the person’s condition have been released.
Firefighters and police responded to the scene. German emergency services were also alerted, although some units were later stood down because the incident occurred on the grounds of the US military base.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established. The US side has not yet released detailed official information about the circumstances of the incident.
US F-16 fighter jets are stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, which also handles US military transport aircraft.
