Pilots Took Photos Before Fighter Jets Collided in South Korea
South Korean authorities have found the cause of a mid-air collision. Two fighter jets collided in 2021. The reason? Pilots were taking pictures and videos.
A Costy Distraction
The incident happened during a flight mission in Daegu. That is a central city in South Korea. Seoul’s Board of Audit and Inspection released the findings.
No Injuries, But Expensive Damage
The pilots survived with no injuries. However, the collision damaged both planes. Repairs cost the military 880 million won. That equals $596,000 or £440,500.One pilot has since left the military. He was made to pay a fine of 88 million won.
A “Widespread Practice”
Why did the pilot take photos? He wanted to commemorate his last flight with his unit. Taking photos of significant flights was “a widespread practice among pilots at the time”. The audit board published this in a report on Wednesday.The pilot had declared his intent before the flight. He mentioned it in a briefing. He was flying the wingman aircraft. He followed the lead aircraft during the mission. While flying back to base, he started taking pictures using his personal mobile phone.
