A South Korean fighter pilot has been ordered to pay 88 million won in damages after a 2021 mid-air collision that an official report said was caused by his attempt to obtain photos and videos of himself during a flight.
According to a report released on Wednesday by the Board of Audit and Inspection, the pilot, whose identity was not disclosed, wanted footage of his final sortie before being reassigned.
The report said he was flying at 578 kilometres per hour when he asked the pilot of a second aircraft and another colleague to take pictures of him using their mobile phones.
In an effort to secure better footage, he inverted his jet and moved it closer to the other aircraft. The report said this led to an error in judgement, causing the left stabilator of his aircraft, a horizontal stabiliser located on the tail, to strike the wing of the other plane.
There were no casualties in the incident, but the unauthorised manoeuvre resulted in damage worth 878 million won, the report said.
The Board of Audit and Inspection stated that the pilot’s actions had not been coordinated with the other members of his formation. It said the aircraft was made to “invert up to 137 degrees so that its upper side could be captured on video.”
The defence ministry had initially directed the pilot to cover the full repair bill. However, he appealed the decision, and the board later reduced his liability to 10 per cent of the total cost, setting the amount at 88 million won.
Board cites prior practice and flight record
The board said it took into account the fact that other pilots had previously carried out filming while in flight. It also considered that the pilot had continued to command the flight safely and returned to base without causing any additional damage.
In its findings, the report said “Since commissioning in 2010, the individual has served for an extended period as a fighter pilot, managing aircraft safely”.
The official report did not identify the type of aircraft involved in the collision. However, Yonhap news agency said the jet was an F-15K.
The case centres on an incident that occurred during what the report described as an unsanctioned attempt to record images from the air. While the collision did not cause injuries, the financial damage led to disciplinary and compensation proceedings that were later reviewed by the audit board.
Wednesday’s report set out both the circumstances of the crash and the reasons for reducing the pilot’s financial responsibility, while still holding him partly liable for the costly damage caused during the 2021 flight.
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