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South Korea Air Force Apologizes for 2021 F-15K Selfie Crash

4/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

South Korea’s Air Force apologized on April 23, 2026 for the December 2021 mid-air collision of two F-15K jets near Daegu caused by selfie filming.
The audit board said the wingman’s climbs to record images while the lead jet filmed video caused the tail-to-wing strike.
The crash caused 880 million won ($600,000) damage, led to the wingman’s repayment of one-tenth, a pilot’s suspension and departure, and prompted the air force to tighten flight-safety rules.

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Story summary

South Korea’s Air Force apologized on April 23, 2026 for the December 2021 mid-air collision of two F-15K jets near Daegu caused by selfie filming.
The audit board said the wingman’s climbs to record images while the lead jet filmed video caused the tail-to-wing strike.
The crash caused 880 million won ($600,000) damage, led to the wingman’s repayment of one-tenth, a pilot’s suspension and departure, and prompted the air force to tighten flight-safety rules.