US military F-16 fighter jet crashes in south west Germany: Pilot is 'taken to hospital after ejecting over a forest'

  • USAF Spangdahlem base confirmed an F-16 crashed at around 3pm on Tuesday 
  • The pilot was able to use the ejector seat to get to safety and is in hospital 
  • There were no immediate details on what caused the crash in the Zemmer area 
  • Police have a wide cordon in place and fire crews rushed to the scene 

A US military F-16 fighter jet has crashed in western Germany, with the pilot ejecting to safety before the plane smashed into the ground.  

Officials said the jet came down in a forest in the Zemmer area during a training mission, between the city of Trier and the U.S. Air Force's Spangdahlem Air Base.

Base spokeswoman Angela Watson confirmed the plane crashed around 3pm local time on Tuesday and the pilot, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries, was safe. She provided no immediate details about the cause of the crash. 

The news comes just a week after two US airmen were killed at the Spangdahlem base in a fiery car crash. The cause of the September 30 accident remains under investigation. 

Firefighters prepare their gear near the crash site of an F-16 fighter plane between the city Trier and US Air Base Spangdahlem on Tuesday

Firefighters prepare their gear near the crash site of an F-16 fighter plane between the city Trier and US Air Base Spangdahlem on Tuesday

Police said the plane came down in the Zemmer area, between the city of Trier and the U.S. Air Force's Spangdahlem Air Base to the north

Police said the plane came down in the Zemmer area, between the city of Trier and the U.S. Air Force's Spangdahlem Air Base to the north

Police said they received calls to the crash at 3.15pm local time and closed a wide area surrounding the crash site. 

The pilot was able to escape via the ejector seat and was rushed to hospital, according to Volksfreund, and suffered minor injuries.

Several fire crews rushed to the area to ensure that any kerosene leaking from the F-16 did not get out of control.

Germany is no stranger to military aircraft crashes, including in its own shortage-plagued Bundeswehr armed forces.

In June this year, two of the air force's Eurofighter jets crashed after colliding in mid-air in northeastern Germany.

One of the pilots was killed, while the other ejected to safety. 

A USAF F-16 fighter on the runway at Spangdahlem Air Base last week

A USAF F-16 fighter on the runway at Spangdahlem Air Base last week

Less than a week later, a helicopter pilot died when his aircraft crashed near an army training centre.

The last American military crash in Germany dates back to 2015, when one of the Spangdahlem base's F-16 fighters went down in northern Bavaria.

In that incident, the pilot surviving after ejecting from the plane. 

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