An F-16 fighter jet crashed near Spangdahlem Air Base, the US Air Force installation in Germany’s Eifel region, on September 22, 2026, injuring its pilot.
A spokesperson for the base told the New York Post that the aircraft was approaching Spangdahlem when it crashed. The pilot ejected and was receiving medical treatment, the spokesperson said. The extent of the injuries was not disclosed.
The Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm district administration had earlier confirmed the accident in a statement issued at 15:43 local time, reporting that one person had been injured.
The district said its fire and disaster protection units had been deployed and that their response had since concluded. It provided no details about the sequence of events and referred further inquiries to the air base press office.
F-16 pilot reportedly ejected after takeoff
Regional broadcaster SWR, citing unnamed sources, reported that two aircraft had taken off from Spangdahlem before one crashed. The pilot reportedly escaped using the aircraft’s ejection seat.
The cause of the accident remains unknown, and the US Air Force has not yet published a detailed account of the circumstances.
Spangdahlem hosts the US Air Force’s 52nd Fighter Wing, whose 480th Fighter Squadron operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon in the suppression of enemy air defenses role. It is the only US Air Force fighter unit based in Germany.
The installation also accommodates visiting aircraft, including French Rafale fighters that operated from Spangdahlem during a NATO Agile Combat Employment exercise in November 2024.