SINGAPORE — A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 fighter jet crashed at Tengah Air Base on Wednesday (May 8), with the pilot successfully ejecting from the plane.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said that the pilot was “conscious and able to walk”.

Mindef said that the incident happened at 12.35pm when the jet experienced an issue during take-off, adding that the pilot “responded in accordance with emergency procedures”.

“The pilot successfully ejected and the plane crashed thereafter within Tengah Air Base,” it added.

“The pilot is conscious and able to walk. He is receiving medical attention and no other personnel was hurt.”

Giving another update on Wednesday night, the ministry said that the pilot has more than 2,000 flying hours on the F-16 jet.

The pilot said that he encountered "flight control issues" upon lifting off the runway at Tengah Air Base for a routine training flight, Mindef added.

As a safety precaution, RSAF has temporarily suspended training for the F-16 aircraft fleet until investigations show that it is safe to resume.

Posting on Facebook, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said that the pilot did not suffer major injuries. 

"He is ambulant, conscious and talking. But as a precaution, (he) will stay in hospital for observation," Dr Ng added, noting that the pilot's alertness and compliance to safety procedures to eject saved his life.

He also said that the last time there was a fighter jet crash incident was 20 years ago, referring to a 2004 crash of an RSAF F-16C during a night training incident in the United States that killed a 25-year-old Singaporean pilot.

Although the RSAF has a credible safety record, he was "obviously disappointed" over Wednesday's incident.

"The goal for the RSAF must still be zero crashes," he added. "Full investigations are underway to make sure all factors are identified and rectified decisively."