South Korean fighter pilot fined for mid-air photos that caused crash

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SEOUL - A South Korean fighter pilot has been ordered to pay 88 million won ($59,200) in damages over a 2021 mid-air collision he caused by trying to get photos and videos of himself flying, an official report said on Wednesday.

The pilot, whose identity was withheld, wanted to capture footage of his last sortie before reassignment, according to the report by the Board of Audit and Inspection.

While travelling at 578 kilometres per hour (359 mph), he had the pilot of a second plane and another colleague take snaps of him on their phones.

In search of the perfect shot, he flipped his jet and flew close to the other aircraft, resulting in a misjudgement that caused his left stabilator, a horizontal stabiliser on a plane's tail, to collide with its wing.

There were no casualties, but the unsanctioned move caused 878 million won in damages.

The pilot's manoeuvre, which had not been coordinated with others in his formation, caused the aircraft to "invert up to 137 degrees so that its upper side could be captured on video", the report published on Wednesday said.

The defence ministry initially ordered him to pay the full amount, but he appealed to the board, which reduced his liability to 10 percent of the total repair costs.

The board took into account that other pilots had previously conducted in-flight filming, and that he had still safely commanded the flight and returned to base without causing further damage.

"Since commissioning in 2010, the individual has served for an extended period as a fighter pilot, managing aircraft safely," the report said.

While the report did not specify what type of aircraft was involved, the Yonhap news agency said it was an F-15K.