F-5E Fighter Pilot Major Shim Jeong-min Who Died in Crash to Have Funeral Today

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The funeral ceremony for Major Shim Jeong-min (29), a pilot who died in the line of duty due to the crash of an Air Force F-5E fighter jet, will be held on the 14th.

According to the Air Force, the funeral will take place at 9 a.m. at the gymnasium of the 10th Fighter Wing in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, attended by the bereaved family, classmates from the 64th class of the Air Force Academy, fellow pilots, and unit personnel, and will be conducted as a unit commander’s funeral.

The Air Force held a private condolence visit at the mortuary set up at the Suwon base due to the COVID-19 spread situation. Defense Minister Seo Wook also visited the mortuary the day before to pay respects to the deceased.

Major Shim, the F-5E fighter pilot who died in the crash on the 11th, was found through the accident investigation to have fought desperately, holding onto the control stick until the end to avoid the fighter jet crashing into residential areas. The Air Force stated, "Analysis of some flight recorders indicates that the deceased pilot did not attempt to eject in order to avoid multiple residential areas and crashed into a nearby hillside while holding onto the control stick until the end."

The accident aircraft took off from Suwon base around 1:43 p.m. on the 11th. During the ascent after takeoff, fire warning lights came on in both engines. Major Shim tried to turn back to the base for an emergency landing, but additional control system failures occurred, causing the aircraft to begin a steep dive.

In his last communication, Major Shim shouted "ejection" twice and prepared for emergency ejection procedures but was unable to eject and died in the crash. The crash site was a hillside about 100 meters away from a village with clustered houses. It is known that there was about 10 seconds from when Major Shim declared emergency ejection to the crash. The Air Force explained that 10 seconds is not insufficient time for a pilot to eject. The flight data recorder reportedly captured the fact that Major Shim was breathing heavily while holding onto the control stick until the end during the steep dive.

Major Shim was commissioned in 2016 as part of the 64th class of the Air Force Academy and had been flying the F-5 for five years. He often said, "I want to live forever as a combat pilot." He was also awarded a commendation last November for his contribution to national defense training. It is known that he had been married for just over a year, adding to the sorrow.

President Moon Jae-in said on the day, "I pray for the repose of Major Shim Jeong-min, who died protecting the skies of our homeland, and offer my deepest condolences to his grieving family," adding, "His self-sacrifice, holding onto the control stick until the end to avoid residential areas, is a symbol of ‘devotion to the country and duty as a soldier’ and will always be an example for our military."

U.S. Forces Korea Commander Paul LaCamera expressed his condolences, saying, "On behalf of the United Nations Command, the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and Air Force personnel of the fallen Korean Air Force pilot," and added, "The sacrifice of the Korean Air Force pilot who died protecting and defending the Korean people is beyond words."