SEOUL, South Korea, Two South Korean F-15K fighter jets collided mid-air in 2021 after their pilots were distracted taking photos and videos, the country’s Board of Audit and Inspection has found.
The incident occurred during a mission over Daegu, causing nearly 880 million South Korean won (596,000 dollar) in damages but no injuries. Investigators said one pilot, flying as wingman, used his personal mobile phone to take commemorative photos of his final flight with the unit. The lead aircraft’s pilot then asked another crew member to film the wingman jet.
In an effort to be better captured on video, the wingman abruptly maneuvered his jet upward and flipped it, bringing the aircraft dangerously close. The lead pilot attempted a rapid descent to avoid collision, but the two jets struck each other, damaging the lead aircraft’s left wing and the wingman’s tail stabilizer.
The wingman pilot was initially fined the full repair cost of 880 million South Korean won, but the audit board later reduced the penalty to 88 million South Korean won, ruling that the Air Force shared responsibility for failing to regulate pilots’ personal use of cameras. The pilot has since left the military and now works for a commercial airline.
The report noted that taking photos of significant flights was a widespread practice among pilots at the time, underscoring cultural issues within the Air Force. Officials said rules on personal device use during missions have since been tightened to prevent similar accidents.
