Jets Collide In South Korea As Pilots Record Photos, Videos Mid-Flight

Last Updated:April 22, 2026, 19:03 IST

South Korean fighter jet clash in 2021 took place due to pilots taking photos mid flight. Audit reveals costly damage, fines and widespread risky cockpit practice.

South Korean authorities have revealed that the 2021 clash of two fighter jets was because the pilots were taking pictures and videos.

The incident took place during a flight mission in the central city of Daegu, according to Seoul’s Board of Audit and Inspection. Though the pilots received no injuries, the planes suffered damage costing the military 880 million won (Rs 5,57,26,017) in repairs.

Following the incident, one of the pilots, who left the military since the crash, was made to pay a fine of 88 million won (Rs 55,69,165).

BBC quoted a report, published on Wednesday, by Seoul’s Board of Audit and Inspection stating that the incident took place because that pilot had wanted to take photos to commemorate his last flight with his military unit.

The board stated that taking photos of significant flights was “a widespread practice among pilots at the time". The pilot had declared his intent to do so before the flight, it further stated.

According to BBC, the pilot was flying the wingman aircraft and was following the lead aircraft. While flying back to their base, he started taking pictures using his personal mobile phone. After noticing this, the pilot of the lead aircraft asked another pilot on his plane to film a video of the wingman aircraft.

The wingman pilot then abruptly flew his jet up higher and flipped it so that it could be better captured on camera, BBC reported. As this manoeuvre brought the two planes very close to each other, the pilot of the lead aircraft tried to rapidly descend but the two F-15K jets eventually collided, damaging the lead aircraft’s left wing and the wingman aircraft’s tail stabiliser.

Following the incident, South Korean air force suspended the wingman pilot, who is currently working for a commercial airline.

News world Jets Collide In South Korea As Pilots Record Photos, Videos Mid-Flight

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