The Navy said on the 9th that it will resume flight training of the P-3C maritime patrol aircraft, which had been suspended after the Pohang crash, on the 10th.

The Navy's new maritime patrol aircraft P-8A (Poseidon) takes off from Pohang Air Command runway on the 2nd for pilot training. /Courtesy of the Navy

Earlier, a P-3CK patrol aircraft crashed in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on May 29, resulting in four casualties. After the accident, the Navy suspended flights of the remaining seven P-3CKs and eight P-3C maritime patrol aircraft. The P-3CK is a variant that has been extensively modified by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) based on the P-3B.

The Navy comprehensively assessed the mission readiness of the P-3C through special safety inspections of the airframe, crew training, and psychological stability, and decided to resume training after completing the test flight on that day.

However, regarding the resumption of flights for the P-3CK, which is the same model as the accident aircraft, a decision will be made later based on investigations by the Joint Accident Investigation Committee. A Navy official noted, “Crew members who have completed flight training will sequentially carry out maritime patrol operations.”

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