Image Courtesy: BBC
Two South Korean fighter jets collided mid-air during a 2021 mission after pilots became distracted while taking photos and videos, an official investigation has found. The incident occurred near the central city of Daegu and involved two F-15K aircraft returning to base. Despite the collision, all pilots onboard survived without injuries, though both jets sustained significant damage.
The country’s Board of Audit and Inspection determined that one of the pilots had been using a personal mobile phone to take photos during the flight, a practice that was reportedly common at the time for marking significant missions. The situation escalated when another pilot attempted to film the aircraft in motion, as reported by BBC News.
The sequence of events unfolded quickly. The wingman pilot, who was flying behind the lead aircraft, attempted to position his jet for better visuals by climbing higher and performing a maneuver that brought the two planes dangerously close. In response, the lead aircraft tried to descend rapidly to avoid impact, but the jets still collided. The crash damaged the lead aircraft’s wing and the wingman’s tail stabiliser.
The total repair cost was estimated at 880 million won, roughly $596,000. Initially, the air force sought to recover the full amount from the wingman pilot. However, after an appeal, the audit board reduced the penalty to 88 million won, citing shared responsibility. The board noted that the air force had not properly regulated the use of personal recording devices during flights.
The pilot involved acknowledged that his maneuver contributed to the collision but argued that the situation was not entirely his fault, pointing out that filming had been openly discussed before the mission. Investigators agreed that there was a level of implicit approval among the crew, which factored into the reduced penalty.
Additional context also played a role in the final decision. The pilot had a clean service record prior to the incident and managed to safely return the damaged aircraft to base after the collision, preventing further complications.
Following the incident, the wingman pilot was suspended and has since left the military to join a commercial airline. The report did not clarify whether any disciplinary action was taken against other crew members involved.
The findings highlight how informal practices, even if widely accepted, can lead to serious consequences when combined with high-risk environments like military aviation.
