MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan, experienced an in-flight emergency in the form of an engine fire shortly after takeoff at approximately 8:40 a.m., Feb. 20, 2018.
The fire required the pilot to jettison two external fuel tanks into an unpopulated area in the vicinity of Lake Ogawara.The aircraft was recovered safely on the installation airfield, and there were no injuries to the pilot or personnel on the ground.
“The safety of our Airmen and our Japanese neighbors is our number one priority during flying operations,” said Col. R. Scott Jobe, the 35th FW commander. “We will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the root cause of this incident.”
More details will be released as they become available.
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