Air Force: "Mid-Air Collision Between Fighter Jets Caused F-16C Crash"

"Failed to accurately judge distance to the other jet while wearing night vision goggles"

The investigation has found that the crash of an F-16C fighter jet in Yeongju City, Gyeongbuk Province, on February 25 was caused by a mid-air collision between two fighter jets.

A helicopter belonging to the Air Force was at the site of a fighter jet crash the previous day on a hill in Yongsan-ri, Anjeong-myeon, Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk. Photo by Yonhap News

On March 4, the Air Force announced that the crash occurred when the left fuel tank of the first F-16C fighter jet struck the right wing of the second jet during a night flight training exercise.

Both pilots took off from the Air Force base in Chungju at 6:58 p.m. on the day of the incident to conduct a "high-level tactical training exercise with night vision goggles." Immediately before the accident, they were performing a "battle damage check" as the final procedure of the exercise. Battle damage checks are procedures in which the pilots visually inspect the airframe, equipment for possible damage, the condition of fuel tanks and armaments, and any fuel leaks on friendly aircraft during or just after a mission.

As the two pilots approached the boundary of the mission airspace during the battle damage check, they attempted to turn to prevent leaving the designated area. During this maneuver, the first jet's left fuel tank collided with the second jet's right wing, causing the accident.

The Air Force stated, "The accident investigation team confirmed that the first jet’s pilot, while wearing night vision goggles, failed to accurately judge the distance and closure rate to the second jet, resulting in the mid-air contact."

Due to the collision, the second jet's head-up display (HUD) was disabled, making it difficult for the pilot to maintain orientation. The flight control system was not functioning properly, and the aircraft continued to lose altitude. The mission area was mountainous, so if the jet did not quickly recover to a normal attitude, there was a high risk of crashing into the ground.

Therefore, the second jet's pilot confirmed that there were no residential buildings near the expected crash site and performed an emergency ejection. The first jet's pilot determined that, although the aircraft was somewhat damaged, there were no flight control issues. He notified air traffic control of the emergency and the crash location of the second jet, and then returned safely to the base in Chungju.

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