Ukraine loses F-16: pilot diverts jet from populated area and successfully ejects

Ukraine's Air Force has lost an F-16 aircraft. A pilot encountered an emergency situation on board while repelling a Russian aerial attack but managed to steer the aircraft away from a populated area and successfully ejected.

Source: Ukraine's Air Force

Details: Contact with the F-16 aircraft was lost at around 03:30 on 16 May. It was repelling a Russian aerial strike at the time.

"Early reports indicate that the pilot destroyed three aerial targets and was engaging a fourth using the aircraft gun. However, an emergency situation occurred on board. The pilot steered the aircraft away from a populated area and successfully ejected," the statement reads.

A source from the Air Force told Ukrainska Pravda that "friendly fire" is ruled out in this case.

The search and rescue team quickly located and evacuated the pilot.

"The pilot is in a satisfactory condition, in a safe place and his life and health are not in danger. A commission has been appointed to objectively clarify all the circumstances and it has begun work," the Air Force concluded.

Background:

• In August 2024, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that an F-16 fighter jet had crashed while repelling a Russian missile strike. Oleksii Mes, the pilot of the aircraft, was killed. 
• Pavlo Ivanov, a Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter jet pilot, was killed in action on Saturday 12 April.

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