U.S. fighter jet pilot rescued after crash off Japan coast

TOKYO (Reuters) - The pilot of a U.S. fighter jet that crashed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of northeastern Japan on Sunday has been rescued, Japan's Coast Guard said, six hours after the aircraft went down.

The pilot, whose name was not disclosed, was placed safely on a U.S. container ship in the region around 6 p.m. (0400 EDT), according to the coast guard, one of several agencies that sent vessels to assist in the rescue.
The F-16 Fighter Falcon went down some 200 miles northeast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, according to an earlier statement by the U.S. Air Force.
The U.S. Air Force said it was still preparing a statement containing details about the pilot's rescue. It had said earlier that the pilot took off from Misawa Air Base in Aomori at about 11:30 headed for North America.

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