US F-16 crashes in Germany after training exercise, pilot safely ejects
Germany's air traffic control authority says four F-16s were involved in a training exercise before the crash
Published September 23, 2026
An F-16 fighter jet assigned to the US air base Spangdahlem in western Germany crashed on Tuesday, the US military said, adding that one pilot had ejected safely and was receiving medical treatment.
The cause of the incident is under investigation, the military said in a statement, with emergency response personnel at the scene of the crash.
Germany's air traffic control authority, in a separate statement, said a total of four F-16s had been taking part in a training exercise.
"Two were still in the training area, while two were returning to Spangdahlem Air Base. One of these two jets is believed to have crashed while on approach," it said, adding the remaining F-16s had landed at the US Air Force base in Ramstein.
