Pilot emergency evacuation, a South Korean F-16 fighter jet crashes
Yonhap News Agency reported, citing sources from the South Korean Air Force, that this fighter jet belongs to the 20th Combat Flight Regiment and is based in Ruishan City, Chungcheongnam do, approximately 120 kilometers from Seoul. At around 8:20 am that day, the fighter jet crashed during takeoff and the pilot ejected to escape. The fighter jet crashed in the base without causing any civilian casualties.
The South Korean Air Force has begun investigating the plane crash incident.
The KF-16 fighter jet is a South Korean version produced and assembled by South Korea after introducing the US F-16 fighter production line in the 1990s. It is the main fighter jet of the South Korean Air Force. On November 20th last year, a KF-16 fighter jet crashed near Gangwon do due to engine failure, and the pilot ejected to escape.
On January 4th last year, a US made F-35A stealth fighter jet of the South Korean Air Force experienced a malfunction in its avionics system during a training mission. It made an emergency landing at the Ruishan base, but the landing gear could not be lowered and was forced to land on its belly. The pilot survived. After this accident, all F-35A fighter jets of the South Korean Air Force were temporarily grounded. On the same day, during takeoff, a South Korean Air Force F-5E fighter jet had its engine fire warning light on, causing the aircraft to rapidly fall and crash, resulting in the death of one pilot.
On April 1st last year, two KT-1 training planes of the South Korean Air Force collided and crashed over Sigawa City in Gyeongsangnam do, resulting in the death of all four pilots on both planes.