By Lieven Dewitte
On Saturday morning, a “Wolf Pack” F-16 crashed in a farming area near Osan Air Base. Fortunately the pilot was able to safely eject and nobody got wounded. An F-16C assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, crashed in an agricultural area about 10 nautical miles from Osan Air Base at approximately 09:45h on Saturday during a routine training flight.
The pilot ejected safely and was transported to the Osan Air Base Urgent Care Center for evaluation. The pilot is in stable condition and no other injuries, including civilians, have been reported. The accident occurred near Pyeongtaek, 35 miles south of Seoul. Following the crash, the fighter jet caught fire and was mostly destroyed.
Kunsan Air Base is the home of the 8th Fighter Wing, “The Wolf Pack,” assigned to the Pacific Air Forces Seventh Air Force and the 38th Fighter Group of the Republic of Korea Air Force. About 45 F-16 aircraft are stationed at the base. The 8th Fighter Wing is at this moment deployed to Osan AB due to runway repairs at Kunsan AB.
“There were 10 Class A and B mishaps involving U.S. Air Force Fighting Falcons in fiscal 2022, but no deaths, according to data from the Air Force Safety Center. Class A mishaps cause damage totaling at least $2.5 million, the destruction of an aircraft, or the death or permanent total disability of someone involved. Class B mishaps result in between $600,000 and $2.5 million in damage, the permanent partial disability of someone, or the inpatient hospitalization of three or more personnel.
