Officials say a US pilot ejected safely before his F-16 crashed into the sea off the coast of South Korea

Seoul, South Korea — A U.S. Air Force pilot ejected safely Monday before his F-16 fighter jet crashed into the sea off South Korea's southwestern coast, U.S. and South Korean military officials said.

The unidentified pilot was recovered by South Korean naval forces and was “awake and in stable condition,” the U.S. 8th Fighter Wing said in a statement. It said the pilot was being sent back to Kunsan Air Base near the southwestern port city of Gunsan, where he would be further evaluated.

The pilot took off from the air base, used jointly by the US and South Korean air forces, on a routine training flight and was forced to eject after experiencing an unspecified emergency during the flight.

The 8th Fighter Wing, which consists of two F-16 squadrons, said the cause of the in-flight emergency was under investigation.

“We are grateful for the safe recovery of our airman by our ROK allies and that the pilot is in good condition,” Col. Matthew C. Gaetke, the 8th Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement, referring to the Republic of Korea : The official name of South Korea.

A US Air Force Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of southern Japan on November 29 during a training mission, killing all eight people on board.