Audit finds pilot liable in jet collision

A South Korean Air Force pilot caused a midair collision with another fighter jet while performing an unauthorized maneuver to take a personal commemorative photo, an audit showed Tuesday.

The Board of Audit and Inspection said a former Air Force major attempted to mark his final flight before a personnel transfer in December 2021. Without coordinating with other pilots, he climbed and rolled the aircraft while recording on his mobile phone after a fellow pilot offered to take the photo.

During the maneuver, the vertical stabilizer of his jet struck the left wing of another aircraft in the formation. Both were F-15K fighters, a mainstay of South Korea’s air fleet. The collision left both aircraft partially damaged, with repair costs totaling about 878.7 million won, or roughly $650,000. No injuries were reported.

The Ministry of National Defense concluded that the pilot bore significant responsibility and ordered him to repay the full amount. While acknowledging fault, he challenged the decision, arguing he was not an accounting-related official responsible for safeguarding military assets under the relevant law.

The audit agency rejected the claim, finding that pilots, who exercise full authority over aircraft operations, qualify as financial officials under the Act on the Liability of Accounting Personnel. It said A caused the collision while maneuvering the jet for personal filming without notifying other pilots, amounting to gross negligence.

However, the agency reduced his liability to one-tenth of the total, about 87.87 million won. It cited the military’s failure to regulate in-flight photography, as well as A’s long service since his commissioning in 2010 and his contributions to safe aircraft management and maintenance, including test flights.


이윤태 oldsport@donga.com