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according to a report by agence france-presse on september 27, the u.s. air force stated on the 27th that,the crash of an f-16 jet fighter in south korea last december was caused by a navigation system failure, loss of major flight controls, and bad weather.

according to reports, f-16s have been deployed in south korea since 1981. there are currently three squadrons in pyeongtaek and gunsan, each with at least 20 aircraft.

the december crash was one of three accidents involving f-16s that occurred in south korea between may 2023 and january this year.

according to an air force statement, investigators found that "while flying through dense cloud cover, the fighter's primary flight and navigation instruments failed, resulting in horizon or attitude information being limited to the backup attitude indicator, which suffered pitch and bank errors." ".

reports said the pilot was disoriented due to a malfunctioning horizon indicator, while conflicting data from other instruments and wingmen led to further confusion. the pilot then decided to eject, the statement said.    

last may, an f-16 crashed on a farm in pyeongtaek, which the air force blamed on "some power loss and weather conditions."    

the crash "did not result in any serious injuries or fatalities but did result in a total loss of the aircraft, in addition to impacts on communities and residents associated with agricultural areas," the accident report said.   

local people are demanding compensation for crop damage and "disruption of livelihoods" caused by the blockade of some villages while the us military investigates.    

in january this year, an f-16 crashed in the waters off south korea's west coast, and the u.s. air force said an investigation was ongoing.    

a month later, another f-16 dropped two fuel tanks mid-air into the same ocean due to an "in-flight emergency."

source: reference news