Two Fighter Jets Collided In Mid-Air As Pilot Snapped Photos On His Phone

Two South Korean fighter jets collided mid-air over the city of Daegu in 2021 after their pilots began taking photos and videos with their phones. The incident, recently detailed in a report by Seoul’s Board of Audit and Inspection, caused significant damage to the aircraft, costing the military nearly $600,000 in repairs. Fortunately, all pilots involved survived without injuries.

The collision occurred during a flight mission when one pilot, flying the wingman aircraft, decided to commemorate his last flight with his military unit by taking photos. According to the report, taking photos during significant flights was a common practice among pilots at the time. The pilot had informed others of his intentions during a pre-flight briefing. While returning to base, he began taking pictures using his personal mobile phone.

Upon noticing this, the lead aircraft’s pilot asked another crew member to record a video of the wingman jet. The wingman pilot then made a sudden maneuver, climbing higher and rolling the aircraft to improve the camera angle. This brought the two F-15K jets dangerously close. The lead aircraft attempted to descend quickly to avoid a collision, but the jets eventually struck each other, damaging the lead aircraft’s left wing and the wingman aircraft’s tail stabiliser.

Following the incident, the South Korean Air Force suspended the wingman pilot, who has since left the military to work for a commercial airline. Initially, the Air Force sought to recover the full repair cost from the pilot. However, after an appeal, the audit board ruled that he should only pay one-tenth of the amount. The board also noted that the Air Force should bear some responsibility for failing to regulate pilots’ personal use of cameras during flights. The wingman pilot had maintained a good service record before the incident and had managed to safely return his aircraft to base, preventing further damage.

The report did not specify whether any disciplinary action was taken against the other pilots involved in the incident.