SINGAPORE: Following the crash of one of its F-16 aircraft at Tengah Air Base on Wednesday afternoon (May 8), the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has temporarily suspended training for its fleet “as a safety precaution.”.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced late on Wednesday that training has been suspended until investigations indicate it is safe to resume. The ministry had earlier reported that, at approximately 12:35 p.m., the aircraft had “an issue” during takeoff.
The pilot, who got out of the aircraft before it crashed, was not seriously hurt. He can move around, is alert, and can speak. However, (he) will remain in the hospital for observation as a precaution,” Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen wrote on Facebook.
MINDEF stated in a Wednesday night update that the pilot had undergone a thorough medical examination, which did not indicate any serious injuries. According to the ministry, the serviceman is an experienced pilot with over 2,000 flying hours on the F-16 aircraft.
The last time one of its fighter jets crashed was 20 years ago. In May 2004, an RSAF F-16C crashed during a night training mission in the US state of Arizona, killing the 25-year-old Singapore pilot who was initially reported missing.
A board of inquiry concluded that the pilot could have experienced gravity-induced loss of consciousness or spatial disorientation, which resulted in his inability to recover the aircraft from an inverted position.
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