A US F-16 fighter jet has crashed at an American air base in Germany, marking the second accident involving the aircraft in less than a week.
The fighter went down at around 2:30pm local time on Tuesday while returning to Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany.
The pilot managed to eject and was taken for medical treatment, according to the US military. There were no reported injuries on the ground.
Germany’s air traffic control authority said four F-16s had been taking part in a training exercise before the crash.
Two remained in the training area while another two headed back to Spangdahlem.
One of those returning aircraft is believed to have crashed while approaching the base. The remaining jets were diverted to Ramstein Air Base.
The US military has not said what caused the crash and an investigation is underway.
Spangdahlem is one of the US military’s key installations in Europe and is home to the 52nd Fighter Wing. Around 20 F-16s are stationed there to support US and NATO operations.
Tuesday’s accident comes just five days after another F-16 crashed during a training exercise in Michigan.
That aircraft belonged to the Texas Air National Guard and went down on September 17. Its pilot also ejected safely and was reported to be in stable condition.
There is currently no indication that the two crashes are connected.
2026-09-23 00:26:00
