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F-16 Crash Near Spangdahlem: Pilot Ejects Safely

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 10:58 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

USAF Pilot Ejects

A U.S. Air Force pilot ejected safely after an F-16 crashed near Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
The crash occurred at about 2:30 p.m. local time (12:30 UTC) on September 22, 2026.
The pilot was treated at a local hospital for injuries.
The $60-80 million jet was on approach during a four-aircraft training exercise.
The incident is the second U.S. F-16 crash in a week, after a September 17 crash in Michigan.

Summary

52nd Wing Thanks

The 52nd Fighter Wing thanked German fire and emergency services for their swift response.
Emergency crews from Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm district were dispatched and completed operations at the crash site.
The three remaining F-16s from the training sortie diverted to Ramstein Air Base and landed safely.
The 480th Fighter Squadron operates more than two dozen F-16s for the Wild Weasel mission.

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USAF Pilot Ejects

A U.S. Air Force pilot ejected safely after an F-16 crashed near Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
The crash occurred at about 2:30 p.m. local time (12:30 UTC) on September 22, 2026.
The pilot was treated at a local hospital for injuries.
The $60-80 million jet was on approach during a four-aircraft training exercise.
The incident is the second U.S. F-16 crash in a week, after a September 17 crash in Michigan.

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