The RSAF’s F-16 training has been temporarily suspended following the Tengah Air Base crash

SINGAPORE: The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has temporarily suspended training of its F-16 fleet “for safety reasons” after one of its jets crashed shortly after take-off from Tengah Air Base on Wednesday afternoon (May 8).

The Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) said late Wednesday that training has been paused until investigations show it can safely resume.

The ministry previously said there was a “problem” when the plane took off at around 12:35 p.m.

The pilot, who jumped from the plane before the crash, suffered no major injuries.

“He is mobile, conscious and talking. But as a precautionary measure, he will remain in hospital for observation,” Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post.

In an update on Wednesday evening, MINDEF added that the pilot had undergone a comprehensive medical examination which revealed no major injuries.

“The soldier is an experienced pilot with over 2,000 hours of flight time on the F-16 aircraft,” the ministry said.

“According to the pilot, he experienced problems with flight controls while taking off from the runway at Tengah Air Base for a routine training flight.”

Detailed investigations are still ongoing, MINDEF said.