Flight Training Scheduled to Resume from the Afternoon of the 22nd
The cause of the accidental drop of the machine guns and fuel tanks from the Air Force KA-1 airborne control and attack aircraft on the 18th was found to be the carelessness of the rear-seat pilot. The pilot made a mistake by pressing the adjacent emergency jettison button while trying to adjust the heater.
The Air Force announced on the 21st that, based on pilot statements and other investigations, the abnormal jettisoning of the machine guns and fuel tanks was confirmed to be due to the negligence of the rear-seat pilot. Previously, the Air Force had formed an accident investigation committee chaired by the Vice Chief of Staff to investigate the cause of the accident.
On the 6th, when North Korea conducted a nuclear test, the Air Force equipped the tactical control aircraft KA-1 with a collector and flew over the Korean Peninsula to carry out data collection.
According to the Air Force, the cause of this accident was the mistake of the rear-seat pilot. The pilot was wearing night vision goggles over the visor (ultraviolet protection shield), and when the heater's airflow entered between the visor and caused discomfort to his vision, he attempted to adjust the airflow of the cockpit vent to focus on the mission. In the process, he pressed the Emergency Jettison Button, which is located just above the vent. Emergency jettison is a procedure in which external attachments such as fuel tanks are dropped from the aircraft to ensure a safe landing in case of an emergency.
The Air Force stated, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to the public once again due to this accident," and added, "We will devise and implement effective measures to prevent recurrence."
Previously, at around 8:13 p.m. on the 18th, two gun pods and two empty fuel tanks from a KA-1 belonging to the Air Force's Wonju base detached during a night firing simulation training over Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The drop occurred in a mountainous area, and fortunately, there were no reported civilian casualties.
From the following day, the Air Force deployed one HH-60 helicopter and about 270 personnel to the mountainous area of Jucheon-myeon, Yeongwol County, Gangwon Province, and recovered two gun pods and approximately 480 rounds of live ammunition. However, some of the live ammunition and the fuel tanks have not yet been found, and the search is ongoing.
Immediately after the accident, the Air Force suspended flights of all aircraft types except for emergency standby forces. Flight training, which had been suspended due to the accident, is scheduled to resume as normal from the afternoon of the 22nd.
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