A US Air Force fighter in training in the skies over South Korea's southwestern coast jettisoned two fuel tanks due to an emergency earlier this week, US military officials said Friday.
The fuel tanks fell on a fresh water lake at the Saemangeum Reclaimed Land in Gunsan, about 274 kilometers south of Seoul, but no casualties were reported, said the officials.
F-16 fighter (Yonhap file photo)
The incident occurred at 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, when an F-16 fighter belonging to the US Air Force's 8th Fighter Wing detached its two auxiliary fuel tanks after its pilot suspected an emergency to occur, they explained.
The US military is searching for the tanks, each measuring 2 meters in length, to prevent oil leaks.
Each tank is said to contain about 1,370 liters of fuel.
"The pilot abandoned the fuel tanks after detecting suspected problems with the fuselage. He unsuccessfully attempted to locate the tanks," an official of the fighter wing said.
"The pilot jettisoned the fuel tanks in accordance with emergency manuals. The search will continue to prevent an oil leak." (Yonhap)
