4 killed in collision, crash of 2 Air Force trainer jets

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sun, October 1, 2023 | 20:42

Society

4 killed in collision, crash of 2 Air Force trainer jets

Posted : 2022-04-01 15:08

Updated : 2022-04-02 09:08

Debris from an Air Force KT-1 trainer jet is seen in a field at Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, southeastern Korea, April 1, after two Air Force KT-1 trainer jets collided in midair and crashed. The accident left four pilots dead. Yonhap

Two Air Force KT-1 trainer jets collided in midair and crashed Friday, killing all four pilots aboard the planes, according to Air Force and local disaster response officials.

The jets went down in a rice paddy in Sacheon, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul, after colliding with each other in midair at around 1:37 p.m. during a training exercise, just minutes after takeoff from a nearby base, they said.

Over 62 firefighters and emergency responders were dispatched to the crash site. A fire broke out on the rooftop of a church after debris from one jet fell on it, but was soon put out.

Yoon Dae-gyu, a 75-year-old farmer who lived near the crash site, said he heard a thunderous noise and later saw a piece of metal falling from the sky.

"It's scary imagining that I could have been hit by that," he said.

The Air Force formed a task force, led by its deputy chief of staff, to handle the aftermath of the accident with a plan to look into what caused it.

Korea has operated the locally developed single-engine, two-seat basic training aircraft since 2000. (Yonhap)

Top 5 Entertainment News

1	INTERVIEW'Coexistence of different art hubs across Asia is necessary': Art Week Tokyo Director

2	M+ deputy director discusses Seoul's potential to challenge Hong Kong as Asia's art hub

3	Trailblazing nonagenarian artist honored for redefining Korean fiber art

4	INTERVIEWWith '30 Days,' Kang Ha-neul finds new level of comfort in acting

5	Rwandan artists bring diversity to Seoul's art scene

DARKROOM