US F-16 crashes at Spangdahlem NATO base in Germany after pilot ejects during training drill

From the Newshound archive · first published 22 September 2026 · last updated 23 September 2026.

A $60-80 million F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing crashed on approach to Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany on Tuesday afternoon, injuring the pilot. The jet was one of four F-16s returning from a training exercise when it went down near a local golf course, producing a thick plume of black smoke that rose over the area. Birthe Thomsen, the local mayor, told German media she watched the aircraft losing altitude rapidly before she called emergency services.

The pilot ejected safely but was hurt and is being treated at the base, according to a base statement.

The three other F-16s that had been part of the training drill were diverted and landed safely at Ramstein Air Base.

Eyewitnesses described a 'charred pile of scrap metal' on the runway, with water cannons and multiple emergency teams on scene.