A years-old investigation into a 2021 mid-air collision between two South Korean F-15K fighter jets has finally concluded, revealing a surprising root cause: two pilots were distracted by taking personal photos and shooting video of the flight. The Board of Audit and Inspection of Seoul, which launched the probe following an appeal from the involved pilot, released its full findings in a public report this Wednesday, laying out the full sequence of events that led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
The collision unfolded during a routine training mission over South Korea’s central city of Daegu, as the two jets prepared to return to their base. The pilot flying the wingman aircraft, who was completing his final flight with his unit before a career transition, had planned to capture commemorative photos of the experience. He had even openly stated his intention to do so during the pre-flight briefing, and the audit board confirmed that informal in-flight photography for personal milestones was a widely accepted, unregulated practice among South Korean Air Force pilots at the time of the incident.
Pulling out his personal mobile phone to snap photos mid-flight, the wingman pilot abruptly executed an ascent and roll maneuver to position his jet for a better shot. This sudden movement brought his aircraft far too close to the lead jet. In a frantic attempt to avoid an immediate full impact, the lead pilot ordered a rapid descent, but the two aircraft still collided. The lead jet suffered severe damage to its left wing, while the wingman jet’s tail stabilizer was heavily damaged. Miraculously, neither pilot was injured in the incident, but repair costs totalled 880 million South Korean won, equal to roughly $596,000 or £440,500.
After the collision, the South Korean Air Force suspended the wingman pilot, who later left the service to take a pilot position with a commercial airline. The air force initially ordered the pilot to pay the full 880 million won in repair costs as a fine. The pilot contested this steep penalty, triggering the independent audit investigation to review the case.
In his appeal, the wingman pilot admitted his sudden maneuver had directly caused the collision, but argued that the lead aircraft crew shared blame: he claimed the lead pilot had tacitly approved of the photo shoot, since the lead crew was aware the activity was taking place and had even decided to film his jet for the video. The audit board ultimately sided partially with the appellant, ruling that the pilot would only be required to pay 10 percent of the original fine – 88 million won.
The board outlined two key reasons for reducing the penalty. First, it ruled that the South Korean Air Force carried partial institutional responsibility for the incident, due to its failure to implement clear rules and enforcement around personal device and camera use by pilots during active flight missions. Second, the board noted the pilot had an unblemished service record prior to the incident, and his quick action to safely land his damaged jet after the collision prevented far more severe damage and potential loss of life. The publicly released report did not include any information on potential disciplinary action against the other pilots involved in the incident.