(2nd LD) South Korean F-16 fighter jet crashes in Yellow Sea, pilots survive

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By Sam Kim
SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean F-16 fighter jet crashed Tuesday off
the country's west coast during routine training, Air Force officials said. The
pilots ejected and were rescued.
The crash occurred at 12:20 p.m. about 40 kilometers off Taean County, South
Chungcheong Province, the officials said. They could not immediately identify its
cause.
Taean is about 150 kilometers south of Seoul.
The pilot and his co-pilot were rescued by a pair of helicopters though their
conditions remained unknown, the officials said.
"We're collecting debris of the aircraft around the area, and have set up a unit
to investigate the cause of the crash," an official said, speaking on customary
condition of anonymity.
The aircraft, officially known as KF-16, took off for training from an airfield
in Seosan, about 100 kilometers south of Seoul, at 11:50 a.m., the officials
said.
The incident is the 19th fighter jet crash in South Korea since 2000. The
previous crash involving an F-16 was in July 2007 in the Yellow Sea, which led to
the death of its two pilots.
The investigation of Tuesday's crash will be led by Lt. Gen. Kim Yong-hong, vice
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Air Force said.
South Korea operates about 130 F-16 fighters, forming the backbone of its Air
Force. They can fly as far as 800 kilometers and cost US$43 million per unit.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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