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A KF-16 fighter jet crashed over the West Sea 5.5 km west of the Woongcheon firing range in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province on Tuesday morning. The pilot, Air Force Captain Wu, was rescued by a fishing boat after ejecting right before the crash. It was the fourth crash of a KF-16 following accidents in August and September 1997 and February 2002.
An Air Force official said the jet took off from the Chungju Airbase around 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday and engaged in air-to-ground firing training over the Woongchun range and the west coast. ¡°The pilot reported an engine problem before the emergency escape, so we¡¯re investigating the possibility of engine failure or a bird sucked into the engine,¡± the official added. The last three crashes were all due to engine defects such as faulty fuel pipes.
The air force dispatched an investigation team to the crash site and temporarily grounded all 136 KF-16 fighter jets. The KF-16 is the main fighter jet of the Air Force. A total of 140 jets were either imported or assembled in Korea from 1994 to 2004.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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