Lead Aircraft's Mistake, Second and Third Jets Followed Without Question
A Repeat of the Accidental Bombing Incident... Concerns Over Declining Discipline
The cause of the recent damage to an Air Force KF-16 during training in Alaska, United States, has once again been identified as pilot error. With this incident, following the accidental bombing by an Air Force KF-16 in March and the emergency jettisoning of external armaments from a KA-1 in April, it has become clear that these accidents were all due to human error, making it impossible for the military to avoid criticism over a decline in discipline.
On 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, reviewing the statements of the mission pilots and 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 U.S. Eielson Air Force Base at around 9:02 a.m. (Korean time) the previous day for aerial tactical training.
Investigations to date have found that all three KF-16s in the formation 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.
An Air Force official stated, "Ultimately, the reason the lead aircraft entered the taxiway was pilot error. While the width of the runway and taxiway at Eielson Air Force Base is two to three times that of domestic military airfields, which may have had some influence, the details are still under investigation."
The second and third jets also entered the taxiway, following the lead aircraft. Although the pilots of the second and third jets had also received training on Eielson Air Force Base through simulators and other means, they followed the lead aircraft into the taxiway without question when it made the error.
This issue was also evident in the accidental bombing incident involving an Air Force KF-16 in March. At that time, the lead aircraft mistakenly dropped an MK-82 bomb at an incorrect coordinate, and the second aircraft followed suit and dropped its bomb as well. The Air Force official commented, "We are frustrated and deeply saddened that the second and third jets followed the lead aircraft blindly."
When the lead aircraft (single-seat) attempted to take off from the taxiway, the U.S. Air Force control tower instructed the second aircraft (two-seat), which was in the process of taking off, to cancel takeoff. However, the second aircraft was unable to stop properly due to insufficient stopping distance. The third aircraft (single-seat) recognized the situation and returned to the apron. When asked whether the U.S. Air Force control tower failed to properly manage the situation until the lead aircraft took off from the taxiway, the Air Force official replied, "This aspect is still under investigation."
The pilots of the second aircraft attempted to abort the takeoff, but because the taxiway was too short, they were unable to stop the fighter jet in time. It has been reported that, up until the attempt to abort takeoff, they mistakenly believed they were on the runway. Subsequently, a fire broke out on the aircraft, causing damage, and both pilots performed an emergency ejection.
As the cause of the accident was confirmed not to be a mechanical defect in the aircraft, the Air Force decided to continue participating in the Red Flag exercise. The Air Force also plans to resume flights of the KF-16 type as of June 13. However, the four personnel involved in the accident will be excluded from the exercise. 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 accidents never occur again."
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