IAF airmen eject from their F-16 during landing
01/02/2013 15:34
Pilot and navigator escape without injury; IAF chief orders all F-16 training flights grounded pending inquiry.
![IAF A-4, F-16 jets at Hatzerim [file]](../HttpHandlers/ShowImage.ashx?ID=188490 "IAF A-4, F-16 jets at Hatzerim [file]")
IAF A-4, F-16 jets at Hatzerim [file] Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen
A pilot and his navigator ejected from their F-16 fighter jet during a landing
at the Ramat David Air Base in the Jezreel Valley on Wednesday.
The
airmen escaped injury, and were taken for a medical examination.
During
the landing phase of the flight, the aircraft was traveling at around 300
kilometers an hour.
The jet completed its landing despite the
ejection.
An initial investigation found that a technical fault in the
plane led to the incident.
Israel Air Force chief Maj.-Gen.
Amir
Eshel ordered all training flights of F-16 jets suspended pending the results of
an investigation by a committee that will be set up to look into what went
wrong.
The operational readiness of F- 16 squadrons remains unaffected.