Air Force Aircraft Involved in Another Accident: Mounting Device and Fuel Tank Fall

Recently, an accident occurred involving an Air Force aircraft, where the mounting devices for machine guns and fuel tanks fell. This incident happened just 43 days after a previous incident of civilian casualties due to a misfire, raising concerns about the Air Force's safety management.

On the 18th, during night training over Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, two machine gun mounting devices and two fuel tanks fell from a 'KA-1 Airborne Control Attack Aircraft'.

The KA-1 was equipped with a "gun pod" for machine gun firing and fuel tanks, but for an unknown reason, these items fell. Fortunately, the drop site was in a mountainous area, so the Air Force reported that there were no civilian casualties.

In response to this accident, the Air Force has formed an Accident Investigation Committee, chaired by Deputy Chief of Staff Park Gi-wan, to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause.

Previously, an accident occurred where an KF-16 fighter jet mistakenly dropped an MK-82 bomb about 10 km away from the target on civilian homes near the Seungjin Military Training Site in Ildong-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.

As a result of the civilian misfire, 38 civilians and 14 soldiers were injured, and 196 buildings were damaged.

Image Source: A formation of KF-16 fighter jets and KA-1 airborne control attack aircraft conducts close air support (CAS) training with a US AC-130J on the 18th. / Photo provided by the Air Force, the site of the KF-16 misfire incident in Nogok-ri, Ildong-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of March 7. / News1