IAF airmen eject from their F-16 during landing

Pilot and navigator escape without injury; IAF chief orders all F-16 training flights grounded pending inquiry.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
IAF A-4, F-16 jets at Hatzerim_370 (photo credit: Reuters/Amir Cohen)
IAF A-4, F-16 jets at Hatzerim_370
(photo credit: 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.