Republic of Korea Air Force F-16C Crash

A Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16C of the 20th Fighter Wing crashed at Seosan Air Base shortly after taking off on a training sortie. The air force said the pilot turned back toward the base and ejected safely before the fighter came down. Its investigation found that a rubber seal from the engine fan module had entered the engine, damaging internal components and causing repeated compressor stalls. The KF-16 is the licence-assembled Korean version of the F-16C and forms the numerical backbone of the South Korean fighter force alongside the F-15K and a growing F-35A fleet.