Two South Korean Trainer Jets Collide in Mid-air, 4 Pilots Killed

Two KT-1 trainer jets operated by South Korea’s Air Force collided midair today, killing all four pilots.

The jets went down in a rice paddy in Sacheon, about 300km south of Seoul. The aircraft collided with each other in midair at around 1:37 p.m. during training, just minutes after their takeoffs from a nearby base, Air Force officials told local media.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

KT-1 Woongbi is the first completely indigenous Korean aircraft ever developed. The military has operated the single-engine, two-seat basic jet since 2000. It was jointly developed by Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) and the Agency for Defence Development (ADD).