Yesterday (8 May), it was reported that a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 jet crashed at Tengah Air Base shortly after take-off.
Fortunately, the pilot successfully ejected and is “conscious and able to walk,” said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).
Mindef added that the pilot was receiving medical attention and that no other personnel was hurt.
Pilot Is Okay; RSAF F-16 Training Temporarily Suspended
Late last night, Mindef posted an update on its Facebook page.
Mindef said the serviceman is an experienced pilot with more than 2,000 flying hours on the F-16 aircraft. According to the pilot, he encountered flight control issues upon lifting off the runway at 12:35pm at Tengah Air Base for a routine training flight.
The ministry confirmed that the pilot has undergone a full medical examination and is clear of any major injuries.
“He is ambulant, conscious and talking. But as a precaution, (he) will stay in hospital for observation,” Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post.
Investigations are ongoing. Mindef and the RSAF will provide updates when they become available.
Mindef added that the RSAF has temporarily suspended training for the F-16 aircraft fleet as a safety precaution. This suspension will carry on until investigations show that it is safe to resume.
Last Fighter Jet Crash Incident Was 20 Years Ago
The last time Singapore had a fighter jet crash was 20 years ago in 2004 during night training flights in Arizona, USA.
The crash occurred at about 9:41 local time.
According to Mindef, communication with the F-16 jet was lost about 45 minutes into the flight. The Singaporean pilot, who was first reported missing, did not survive the crash.
The pilot was 25-year-old Lieutenant Brandon Loo Kwang Han who had obtained his pilot wings in 2001 and became an F-16 pilot in 2003.
Commenting on the twenty year gap between yesterday’s crash and the 2004 crash, Ng Eng Hen said, “It’s a credible record but (I’m) obviously disappointed over this incident.”
“The goal for the RSAF must still be zero crashes,” he said.
The F-16 jet has been flown by more than 20 other airforces, and over 4,400 aircrafts have been delivered worldwide.
Singapore has been using these jets as early as 1988.
“The F-16s heralded a new era of multi-role fighter capabilities for the RSAF,” said Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How in a speech last year.
“These fighters featured onboard radars and weapon systems that could see and fire at targets beyond visual range.”
Singapore’s F-16 jets started upgrades in 2016 to enhance their abilities and keep them operationally ready until the mid-2030s, Mindef said.
The upgrades include a new Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar to allow the F-16 to track and engage multiple targets from farther away, as well as an all-weather, ground-attack capability that enables it to strike targets with more capable precision munitions.