Latest news with #KF-16
Hans India
12-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
South Korea: Pilot error suspected in KF-16 Alaska accident
Seoul: Pilot error appears to have been behind a KF-16 fighter jet accident that occurred during air drills in Alaska earlier this week as the pilots mistakenly tried to take off from the taxiway rather than the runway, the South Korean Air Force said Thursday. On Tuesday (US time), the two pilots ejected from the twin-seat fighter after an emergency situation occurred during takeoff from Eielson Air Force Base, when they attended the US-led multinational Red Flag air exercise. They did not suffer major injuries, but the jet was partially damaged due to a fire. Citing a preliminary probe result, the Air Force said three KF-16s wrongly entered the taxiway instead of the runway as they prepared to take off to participate in air combat drills. All four pilots of the three aircraft told investigators that they mistook the taxiway for the runway. "The US Air Force air traffic control tower instructed the second aircraft to cancel takeoff upon seeing the first aircraft taking off from the taxiway, but the distance was insufficient ... prompting an emergency ejection," an Air Force official said. The aircraft caught fire as it skidded to a stop in the grass near the end of the taxiway, according to the official. The two pilots of the second aircraft appear to have ejected from the aircraft due to the fire, the official said, noting that the exact sequence of the events is currently under investigation. The exact cause of the fire currently remains unclear, Yonhap news agency reported. As the accident did not occur due to a mechanical issue, the Air Force said it will resume training and operations of the KF-16. "The Air Force has decided to continue to participate in the Red Flag exercise. Operation of the (KF-16) aircraft will resume Friday," the official said, apologising over the accident and vowing to come up with "effective" measures to prevent a similar accident. The four pilots, however, will no longer take part in the exercise and cooperate with the investigation, according to the official. The Air Force earlier grounded all KF-16 fighter jets and dispatched a 20-member team to Alaska to probe the accident and carry out emergency maintenance, amid efforts to determine the exact cause of the accident under close cooperation with the US side. South Korea mobilised 11 aircraft, including six KF-16 fighters and the KC-330 transport plane, and some 100 airmen, for this year's Red Flag air exercise that runs through June 27. Launched in 1975, the Red Flag-Alaska exercise is designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment, according to the US military. South Korea has deployed fighter jets to the exercise since 2013, Yonhap news agency reported. This week's accident took place about three months after two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly bombed a town just south of the inter-Korean border, injuring 66 people, including 40 civilians. The aircraft released live bombs outside of a designated training area as the pilots wrongly entered the target coordinates, according to the Air Force.
Korea Herald
12-06-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Pilot error suspected in KF-16 Alaska accident: Air Force
Pilot error appears to have been behind a KF-16 fighter jet accident that occurred during air drills in Alaska earlier this week, as the pilots mistakenly tried to take off from the taxiway rather than the runway, the Air Force said Thursday. On Tuesday, the two pilots ejected from the twin-seat fighter after an emergency situation occurred during takeoff from Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, as they attended the US-led multinational Red Flag air exercise. They did not suffer major injuries, but the jet was partially damaged due to a fire. Citing a preliminary probe result, the Air Force said three KF-16s wrongly entered the taxiway instead of the runway as they prepared to take off to participate in air combat drills. All four pilots of the three aircraft told investigators that they mistook the taxiway for the runway. "The US Air Force air traffic control tower instructed the second aircraft to cancel takeoff upon seeing the first aircraft taking off from the taxiway, but the distance was insufficient ... prompting an emergency ejection," an Air Force official said. The aircraft caught fire as it skidded to a stop in the grass near the end of the taxiway, according to the official. The two pilots of the second aircraft appear to have ejected from the aircraft due to the fire, the official said, noting that the exact sequence of the events is currently under investigation. The exact cause of the fire currently remains unclear. As the accident did not occur due to a mechanical issue, the Air Force said it will resume training and operations of the KF-16. "The Air Force has decided to continue to participate in the Red Flag exercise. Operation of the (KF-16) aircraft will resume Friday," the official said, apologizing over the accident and vowing to come up with "effective" measures to prevent a similar accident. The four pilots, however, will no longer take part in the exercise and will cooperate with the investigation, according to the official. The Air Force earlier grounded all KF-16 fighter jets and dispatched a 20-member team to Alaska to probe the accident and carry out emergency maintenance, amid efforts to determine the exact cause of the accident under close cooperation with the US side. South Korea mobilized 11 aircraft, including six KF-16 fighters and the KC-330 transport plane, and some 100 airmen for this year's Red Flag air exercise that runs through June 27. Launched in 1975, the Red Flag-Alaska exercise is designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment, according to the US military. South Korea has deployed fighter jets to the exercise since 2013. This week's accident took place about three months after two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly bombed a town just south of the inter-Korean border, injuring 66 people, including 40 civilians. The aircraft released live bombs outside of a designated training area as the pilots wrongly entered the target coordinates, according to the Air Force.
Hans India
12-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
South Korea: Air Force grounds KF-16 fighter jets following Alaska accident
Seoul: The South Korean Air Force said on Thursday that it has temporarily grounded KF-16 fighter jets following an accident involving the aircraft during the US-led multinational Red Flag air exercise in Alaska earlier this week. On Tuesday (US time), two pilots ejected from the twin-seat fighter after an emergency situation occurred during takeoff from Eielson Air Force Base. The pilots did not suffer major injuries, but the aircraft was partially damaged due to a fire. The Air Force has dispatched a 20-member team to Alaska to probe the accident and carry out emergency maintenance, amid efforts to determine the exact cause of the accident under close cooperation with the US side. In a press briefing, an Air Force official said the service has yet to decide whether to participate in the air exercise that runs through June 27 as planned or call in the deployed aircrew. In a separate statement, the US 354th Fighter Wing confirmed the incident occurred on base within the fence line of the Eielson Air Force Base, while departing the prepared surface. The scope of the aircraft damage and the circumstances leading to the accident were not immediately known. "The two pilots visited a US Army hospital and are currently recovering. No major injuries were reported other than minor burns and lacerations," the Air Force said in a notice. The KF-16 fighter, which was partially damaged due to a fire, remains parked on the grass near the runway, it added. The Air Force plans to dispatch a team to probe the accident and carry out emergency maintenance later in the day, amid efforts to determine the exact cause of the accident under close cooperation with the US side. The incident is the first known accident involving a South Korean fighter jet overseas. Launched in 1975, the Red Flag-Alaska exercise is designed to provide realistic training in a simulated combat environment, according to the US military. South Korea has deployed fighter jets to the exercise since 2013. This year, the South's Air Force mobilised 11 aircraft, including the KF-16 fighter and the KC-330 transport plane, and some 100 airmen. Earlier on April 20, the Air Force had grounded nearly all of its aircraft after a KA-1 light attack aircraft accidentally released two gun pods and empty fuel tanks.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
South Korean KF-16 fighter crashes during Red Flag-Alaska military exercise, both pilots eject
A KF-16 combat aircraft crashed on Wednesday (June 11) while participating in a training mission for Red Flag-Alaska military exercise. The two pilots in the fighter ejected and were taken to a hospital. However, the extent of injuries suffered by the two pilots is not known. The South Korean fighter jet is a domestically produced variant of the US F-16 fighting Falcon . The two-seater plane was taking off for a sortie as part of a multinational air combat drill when the two pilots ejected following an emergency. According to the South Korean Air Force statement, the KF-16's landing gear malfunctioned during the take-off forcing the pilots to ditch the aircraft and pull the ejection seat. "Take-off and landing are when fighter jets are most vulnerable to accidents. That the pilots survived speaks to the strength of their training," a South Korean Air Force officer who did not wish to be identified told The Chosun Daily website. US military organises the Red Flag-Alaska under its Pacific Air Force command four times in a year. The 10-day air combat training exercise involves joint offensive counter-air, interdiction, close air support, and large force employment training in a simulated combat environment. Live Events South Korea has sent 11 aircraft and about 100 defence officials to take part in the military exercise. The South Korean planes include KF-16 fighters and KC-330 aerial refuelling tankers. A total of 10 KF-16 fighter jets have crashed since the aircraft first joined the South Korean Air Force in 1999. Two of the KF-16s have crashed in March and April 2025.
Korea Herald
11-06-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
KF-16 damaged in Alaska, no casualties reported
A South Korean KF-16 fighter jet was damaged during a multinational air combat drill in the United States, the South Korean Air Force said Wednesday. According to the military, the incident occurred around 4 p.m. during takeoff at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska. A fire broke out in the aircraft, causing partial damage, and an emergency ejection was carried out. The flight was part of the Red Flag-Alaska exercise hosted by the United States Pacific Air Forces. The KF-16, a twin-seat fighter, was carrying two pilots, both holding the rank of captain. They safely ejected and were transported to a nearby hospital. The military said both sustained only minor burns and they are in stable condition. The extent of the damage to the aircraft has not been disclosed. The South Korean Air Force said it is working closely with its US counterpart to determine the cause of the incident and assess the situation. South Korea has deployed 11 aircraft for the Red Flag exercise, including KF-16 fighters and KC-330 multirole tanker transports, along with around 100 personnel. The participants began terrain orientation and acclimation flights earlier Monday, with the main training set to run for about two weeks starting next Monday. They are scheduled to return to South Korea on July 1.
