An investigation by South Korean authorities concluded that the collision between two fighter jets in 2021 occurred while the pilots were taking photos and recording videos during the flight.
According to BBC, the incident happened while the jets were on a mission over downtown Daegu, according to Seoul’s Board of Audit and Inspection.
The pilots were unharmed, but the collision damaged the aircraft, costing the military 880 million won (about $596,000) in repairs. One of the pilots, who has since left the armed forces, was fined 88 million won.
According to the investigation report released on Wednesday (22), the incident occurred because the pilot wanted to take photos to commemorate his final flight with his military unit. Taking photos during significant flights was “a widespread practice among pilots at the time,” the audit board said in the report.
The report also noted that the pilot had declared his intention to record images during the pre-flight briefing. He was flying as the wingman and following the lead aircraft during the mission. While returning to base, he began taking photos using his personal cellphone.
Upon noticing this, the lead aircraft pilot asked another pilot onboard to film a video of the wing aircraft. The wingman then abruptly flew his jet higher and tilted it to be better captured on camera. This maneuver brought the two aircraft closer together.
To avoid an accident, the lead aircraft attempted to descend quickly. However, the two F-15K jets eventually collided, damaging the left wing of the lead aircraft and the tail stabilizer of the wing aircraft.
Following the accident, the South Korean Air Force suspended the wingman, who has since left the military to work for a commercial airline.
The investigation was launched after the pilot appealed the military’s decision to fine him for the damage to the aircraft. Although he acknowledged that his maneuver caused the collision, he emphasized that the lead pilot had “consented” once he knew the filming was taking place.
The audit board ultimately decided that the wingman should pay only one-tenth of the amount sought by the air force. As a result, instead of paying the 880 million won requested by the military, he was required to pay only 88 million won for the damage to the fighter jets.
The report concluded that the South Korean Air Force should also bear some responsibility for the incident for failing to properly regulate the use of personal cameras by pilots.
The board also took into account that the wingman had a good record prior to the incident and that he managed to prevent further damage by promptly requesting a safe return of his aircraft to base. The report, however, did not mention whether any action was taken against the other pilots involved in the incident.
Photo: Reproduction / Report. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
