Unable to Stop After Takeoff Cancellation Order While Accelerating on Taxiway... Emergency Escape
The cause of the recent Air Force KF-16 damage incident during training in Alaska, United States, has once again been identified as pilot error. With this incident, following the accidental discharge of a KF-16 in March and the emergency jettison of external armaments from a KA-1 in April, it has become clear that all were caused by human error, making it impossible for the military to avoid criticism over a lapse in discipline.
On the afternoon of June 12, the Air Force held a briefing and stated, "The Air Force accident investigation team, which was urgently dispatched to the site, is conducting a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the accident together with the U.S. Air Force investigation team, by reviewing statements from the mission pilots and air traffic controllers, as well as the condition of the aircraft involved."
According to the Air Force, three KF-16 fighter jets participating in the Red Flag Alaska exercise were scheduled to take off from Eielson Air Force Base in the United States at approximately 9:02 a.m. (Korea Standard Time) the previous day for an aerial tactical training mission.
Investigations so far have found that the three-aircraft KF-16 formation all mistakenly entered the taxiway instead of the runway. The taxiway is the path used by aircraft to move from the apron to the runway for takeoff.
When the first aircraft (single-seat) took off from the taxiway, the U.S. Air Force control tower instructed the second aircraft (two-seat), which was already accelerating for takeoff, to cancel take-off. However, the second aircraft did not have enough stopping distance and could not come to a complete stop, forcing the pilots to make an emergency escape. The incident occurred because the aircraft entered the taxiway instead of the runway.
The second aircraft came to a stop beyond the end of the taxiway in a grassy area. During this process, a fire broke out and the aircraft was damaged.
As the cause of the accident was confirmed not to be a mechanical defect in the aircraft, the Air Force has decided to continue participating in the Red Flag exercise. The Air Force also plans to resume flights of the KF-16 aircraft starting June 13.
The Air Force stated, "We sincerely apologize once again for causing concern to the public due to the series of accidents," and added, "Through deep reflection and effective follow-up measures, we will ensure that similar incidents never occur again."
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