"An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing here experienced an in-flight emergency over the West Sea and crashed at approximately 8:41 a.m. today," read a statement issued by the unit.

The pilot was conscious and was transported to a medical facility for assessment.

“We are very thankful to the Republic of Korea rescue forces and all of our teammates who made the swift recovery of our pilot possible,” said Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, 8th FW commander. “Now we will shift our focus to search and recovery of the aircraft.”