Overview
- South Korea’s air force issued a public apology Thursday following Wednesday’s state audit that found flight crews were filming during a December 2021 formation flight near Daegu.
- The audit said the wingman made an uncoordinated climb and roll to be filmed, bringing his F-15K too close to the lead jet; flight data showed a climb from about 13,140 to 13,240 feet, 312 knots of speed, and a roll to 137 degrees.
- Both fighters returned to base without injuries, yet repair bills reached roughly 878–880 million won as the lead jet’s left wing and the wingman’s tail stabilator were damaged.
- The board held the wingman primarily responsible but reduced his financial liability by 90% to about 87.8 million won, citing widespread commemorative photo-taking and lax rules on personal devices in flight.
- The air force said the pilot had been suspended and severely disciplined, confirmed he later left for airline flying, and pledged tighter flight-safety rules to stop personal filming in the cockpit.