A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet has crashed near a NATO airbase in southwest Germany.
The incident happened near Spangdahlem Air Base, in the region of Eifel, forcing the pilot to eject from the aircraft. Initial reports suggest the F-16 was taking part in a training exercise and its pilot was attempting to land when the aircraft crashed.
Residents of the neighbouring village of Binsfeld told German outlet SWR “a lot of sirens [were] blaring” and that they had seen a large column of smoke pouring into the sky.
Local mayor Birthe Thomsen was cycling between Beilingen and Speicher when she saw a jet in the sky rapidly losing altitude.
“I saw it descend quickly, followed by a large column of black smoke,” she told SWR. Thomsen then called the emergency services.
Footage shared on social media also showed smoke rising from the reported site of the crash, near the B50 road between Binsfeld and Spangdahlem.
“Following a plane crash in the vicinity of US Air Base Spangdahlem, fire and emergency response teams from the Eifel District of Bitburg-Pruem were dispatched to the scene,” the local district said.
Spangdahlem is home to an F-16 fighter jet squadron with about 20 aircraft. The squadron, which supports US Air Force and NATO missions worldwide, is the centrepiece of the air base.
The base has about 5,000 military and civilian employees, plus their family members, according to the latest figures. The US air base also employs between 700 and 800 Germans.
“A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing crashed at approximately 2:30 p.m. on September 22,” a spokesperson for the base said in a statement.
“The pilot ejected safely and is receiving medical care. The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
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