US Air Force cites hardware failure as cause of 2024 F-16 crash

The crash of a U.S. F-16 fighter jet in waters off Korea's western coast in January last year was caused by a hardware failure that led to an engine stall, a report showed Tuesday. On Jan. 31, a F-16C assigned to the U.S. 7th Air Force's 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, about 175 kilometers south of Seoul, crashed into the West Sea. The crash occurred 41 minutes after the fighter jet took off for a routine training sortie conducted as part of a readiness exercise. The pilot safely ejected and was rescued, although the aircraft was not recovered. "The Accident Investigation Board President found by a preponderance of evidence the cause of the mishap was an engine stall due to hardware failure," the U.S. Air Force said in a report published last week. Noting that the conclusion was reached based on witness statements and audio recordings as the aircraft was not retrieved, the report mentioned a loss of engine power to maintain attitude and airspeed. It also mentioned how the pilot was unable to make a successful landing due to the distance to the nearest airport. The incident wWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times