A South Korean fighter jet pilot has been ordered to pay compensation of RM235,000 after taking photos during flight led to a mid-air collision.
According to a report released Wednesday by South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection, the pilot, during a 2021 flight, had another pilot and a colleague take photos of him with a phone while flying. At the time, his speed reached 578 kilometers per hour.
In pursuit of the perfect shot, the pilot inverted his jet and flew close to the other aircraft, misjudging the maneuver and resulting in the left horizontal stabilizer of his plane colliding with the wing of the other jet.
Although the incident caused no casualties, it resulted in damages amounting to about 878 million won (approximately RM2.35 million).
The report stated that the pilot had not coordinated the move with other members of his formation; in order to include the top of the aircraft in the shot, he “inverted to an angle of up to 137 degrees.”
The South Korean Ministry of Defense initially ordered him to pay the full compensation, but the pilot appealed to a committee, which reduced his liability to 10% of total repair costs, or 88 million won (about RM235,000).
The report noted the pilot enlisted in 2010, has long served as a fighter jet pilot, and had always flown safely prior to this incident.
The report did not specify the model of the aircraft involved, but Yonhap News Agency reported it was an F-15K fighter jet.