Singapore Air Force temporarily suspends F-16 training after crash incident

Source: The Star

SINGAPORE (Bernama): The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has temporarily suspended training for its F-16 aircraft fleet as a safety precaution following a crash incident on Thursday.

The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), in a statement, said training is suspended until investigations show that it is safe to resume.

"Detailed investigations are ongoing and updates will be provided," the ministry said.

An RSAF F-16 jet crashed at the Tengah Air Base after experiencing an issue during take-off at 12.35 pm yesterday.

Meanwhile, the pilot involved is revealed to have no major injuries after undergoing a full medical check-up.

"The pilot is conscious and stable. The serviceman is an experienced pilot with over 2,000 flying hours on the F-16 aircraft," MINDEF said.

"According to the pilot, he encountered flight control issues upon lifting off the runway at Tengah Air Base for a routine training flight," the ministry added.

In an earlier statement, MINDEF said the pilot responded in accordance with emergency procedures and succesfully ejected from the aircraft following the incident. - Bernama