Khaberni - The South Korean Air Force officially apologized for an aerial collision that occurred between two F-15K model fighters in December 2021, after recent regulatory reports revealed that the main cause of the accident was the pilots being distracted by taking selfie pictures and filming commemorative video clips while flying.
A spokesperson for the Air Force stated in a press release: "We sincerely apologize for the concern this incident caused", confirming that one of the involved pilots faced strict disciplinary actions and was suspended from flying duties before subsequently leaving military service.
This apology followed the release of a report by the government's Audit and Inspection Board last Wednesday, which revealed that unplanned maneuvers for personal filming purposes led to the collision of the aircraft during a formation flight near the city of "Daegu".
The report indicated that the pilot of the follower aircraft tried to record footage to document his last flight with the unit, conducting a steep ascent and changing the aircraft's course without permission to improve the shooting angle, while another pilot in the lead aircraft was filming a video.
As the aircraft dangerously approached each other, the pilots tried to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid the collision, but the tail of the follower aircraft collided with the wing of the lead aircraft, causing substantial material damage estimated at about 880 million won (approximately $600,000 USD).
Despite the severity of the accident, no human injuries were recorded among the pilots.
Regarding financial liability, the Audit Council primarily held the pilot of the follower aircraft responsible, however, it also criticized the Air Force for poor oversight of filming operations during flights at that time.
As a result, the financial penalty imposed on the pilot was reduced by 90% to about 88 million won, considering that taking commemorative pictures was a routine practice in the absence of strict regulations at that time.
For its part, the South Korean Air Force confirmed that it is taking firm steps to tighten air safety rules and impose strict controls to prevent such violations in the future, ensuring the highest levels of discipline during training and combat missions.
