Earlier Texas ANG training crash also saw pilot eject safely
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed Tuesday afternoon near a U.S. military base in western Germany, military officials said. The pilot ejected safely and is receiving medical care.
The pilot’s name was not released, and their injuries were unclear. No one else was injured, and the cause of the crash was under investigation.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon was assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing in Spangdahlem, Germany, the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported. The aircraft was returning from a routine training flight involving four of the planes when the crash occurred. The other aircraft diverted to Ramstein Air Base.
Social media reports indicated that residents near the base saw a large plume of smoke, Stars and Stripes said. Local emergency services responded to the scene.
The Tuesday crash comes days after a Texas Air National Guard F-16 crashed during a training mission Thursday in Michigan. Homes and businesses within a mile were evacuated because of a “hazardous chemical spill” associated with the crash, police said. The pilot ejected safely.