The cause of the Korean Air Force KF-16 fighter jet accident at the multinational joint exercise Red Flag Alaska, hosted by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces Command, was revealed on the 12th to be pilot error. The Air Force explained that the accident occurred while attempting to take off from a taxiway, a road used by aircraft to move to the runway.
According to the Air Force, three KF-16 fighter jets of the Korean Air Force were scheduled to take off from Eielson Air Force Base on the 11th at around 9:02 a.m. for an air tactics training. All three jets entered the taxiway instead of the runway for takeoff. The U.S. Air Force control tower saw the No. 1 aircraft (single seat) attempting to take off from the taxiway and instructed the No. 2 aircraft (twin-seat) to cancel takeoff.
However, the pilot of the No. 2 aircraft could not stop the aircraft properly due to the insufficient stopping distance and eventually made an emergency ejection. The No. 2 aircraft went past the end of the taxiway and stopped in a grass area within the base. During this process, the KF-16 fighter caught fire and was damaged. The pilots on both the front and rear seats of the accident aircraft were of captain rank.
As it was confirmed that the cause was not a mechanical defect of the aircraft, the Korean Air Force will continue to participate in the Red Flag exercise. The flight of the KF-16 fighters, which had been suspended due to this accident, will resume on the 13th. The Korean Air Force accident investigation team, which arrived at Eielson Air Force Base, is conducting a detailed investigation along with the U.S. Air Force investigation team, checking the statements of pilots and controllers, and the condition of the accident aircraft.
This is already the third aircraft accident caused by an Air Force pilot error this year. Previously, in March, two KF-16 fighter jets of the Air Force mistakenly dropped eight MK-82 air-to-ground bombs on a civilian area during a Korea-U.S. joint exercise conducted in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. This unprecedented 'civilian area misdrop' accident injured 66 people, including 40 civilians. The cause of the accident was incorrect input of coordinates due to pilots' negligence.
On April 18, an incident occurred during flight training when an Air Force KA-1 airborne control attack aircraft accidentally dropped its armament, including two machine guns, 500 rounds of 12.7 mm live ammunition, and two fuel tanks, to the ground. As the items fell in a mountainous area, no civilian damage occurred. This accident was also due to pilot error, caused by mistakenly pressing a button while trying to adjust the heater airflow.
An Air Force official said that they will ensure such incidents never occur again through thorough reflection and effective follow-up measures.