Press TV – July 8, 2013
An Israeli F-16 warplane has crashed into the Mediterranean Sea following an engine malfunction, the military says.
“An F-16 combat aircraft crashed earlier today in the sea after the engine malfunctioned,” an Israeli military spokesman said on Sunday.
The US-made F-16, which is Israel’s latest and most advanced warplane, crashed approximately 50 kilometers west of the Gaza Strip during a training flight.
The Israeli official said that the plane’s two crew members, the pilot and the navigator, parachuted into the sea and were rescued.
The official added that the Israeli military subsequently grounded “all its F-15 and F-16 combat aircraft until circumstances of the incident are reviewed.”
In October 2012, the Israeli military grounded its entire fleet of aircraft for a day in the wake of a number of near-miss incidents during training flights.
In 2010, an Israeli F-16I crashed, killing the two pilots.
The Israeli regime has purchased 102 F-16I warplanes from the United States to renovate its fleet.
Related article
- Israel grounds warplanes after F16 crashes at sea (nation.com.pk)