A 52nd Fighter Wing F-16 takes off from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, in June 2023. An F-16 from the wing declared an in-flight emergency Sept. 19, 2024, requiring the pilot to jettison two empty fuel tanks about 7 miles from the base. The jet landed safely, and a recovery operation for the tanks is underway. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
An F-16 fighter jet assigned to Spangdahlem Air Base jettisoned two empty fuel tanks due to an in-flight emergency Thursday, 52nd Fighter Wing officials said.
The aircraft landed safely following an engine malfunction at the base in rural southwestern Germany, the wing said Friday.
The tanks were unloaded at about 5:24 p.m. Thursday, about 7 miles southwest of the base in a densely wooded area near the Kyll River, wing officials said.
No injuries were reported on the ground.
A recovery team of 50 first responders assigned to the air wing went with German officials near Hosten on Friday to retrieve the two empty fuel tanks. U.S. and German law enforcement have cordoned off the area, wing officials said in a statement.
The site lies within both the Eifelkreis Bitburg Prüm and Trier-Saarburg districts and within three areas: Trier-Land, Speicher and Bitburg-Land.
A team was dispatched following the incident Thursday but postponed the search due to darkness.
Pilots are required to reduce weight in emergency situations to safely land the aircraft, the wing statement said.
