Pilot lost control of crashed jet: Air Force

Air Force officials said Thursday that a mistake by one of the pilots had caused the fatal trainer jet crash earlier this month, finding the aircraft had no functional defects.

The T-59 trainer jet fell to the ground on Dec. 5 soon after taking off for an emergency landing exercise, killing two Air Force pilots aboard.

According to officials, the exercise is designed to prepare pilots for emergencies when their jets' engines are turned off in midair.

This crash, which happened near the Air Force's 16th Fighter Wing in Yecheon, about 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was the first to happen during this exercise, officials said.

"When the jet was attempting to land, one of the pilots applied too much pressure on the control stick and the aircraft rapidly lost speed, entering a stall," an Air Force investigator said. "The pilot tried to regain control but didn't have sufficient angle and the jet was traveling at a low altitude by that point."

According to the Air Force, there were no functional defects with the T-59. It said the jet's black box was damaged beyond repair.

Two Air Force majors, a 34-year-old named Park Jeong-soo and a 33-year-old Kwon Seong-ho, were killed in the crash.

Officials said they will offer safety lessons for all Air Force pilots and will also review emergency exercises for their potential dangers. One official said the emergency landing drill assumes the most dangerous situation, and Air Force may consider holding more simulated exercises on the ground and only having midair exercises when safe altitude and speed are ensured.

T-59s will resume flights on Jan. 3, after being grounded in the immediate aftermath of the crash for safety inspections. There are currently 15 T-59s in service. Of the 20 that South Korea has deployed since 1992, four have crashed and a fifth was damaged while on the ground. (Yonhap)