South Korean fighter jets collided while pilots captured images: report

A newly released report by South Korea's Board of Audit and Inspection has revealed that a 2021 mid-air collision between two F-15K fighter jets was caused by pilots attempting to take commemorative photos and videos. 

The incident took place while the jets were on a flight mission in the central city of Daegu. Remarkably, the pilots survived with no injuries, but the collision damaged the planes, costing the military 880 million won in repairs.

According to the audit board, a report published on Wednesday clarified that taking photos of significant flights was “a widespread practice among pilots at the time.”

The pilot had declared his intent to do so in a briefing before the flight as he was flying the wingman aircraft and was following the lead aircraft to complete the mission. 

The actual cause of the collision was the wingman pilot’s abrupt maneuver to get a better camera angle for a commemorative photo.

The lead pilot noticed the wingman taking photos and instructed his own crew to film the wingman. The resulting maneuver brought the jets too close; despite a rapid descent by the lead plane, the two F-15Ks collided. 

Both aircraft were damaged, resulting in 880 million won in repair costs. On the other hand, the Air Force initially sued the wingman pilot for the full repair amount. 

The pilot appealed, arguing that the lead pilot had “tacitly consented” to the filming.

The wingman pilot has since left the military and is now employed by a commercial airline. Additionally, the board also took into account the pilot’s previously strong track record and that he prevented further damage by promptly regaining control of the aircraft.