According to an official report released on Wednesday, a South Korean fighter pilot was ordered to pay 88 million won ($59,200) in damages for causing a mid-air collision in 2021 while attempting to take pictures and films of himself in flight.
According to the Board of Audit and Inspection report, the pilot—whose identity was withheld—wanted to record his final sortie before being reassigned.
He had another coworker and the captain of a second plane capture pictures of him with their phones while he was flying at 578 kilometers per hour (359 mph).
His left stabilator, a horizontal stabilizer on a plane’s tail, collided with the other aircraft’s wing after he turned his jet and flew near it in an attempt to get the ideal shot.
The unapproved action resulted in 878 million won in damages, although there were no casualties.
The aircraft “inverted up to 137 degrees so that its upper side could be captured on video” as a result of the pilot’s uncoordinated maneuver, according to the report released on Wednesday.
He appealed to the board, which lowered his culpability to 10% of the total repair expenses after the defense ministry had ordered him to pay the whole amount.
The board considered that he had safely led the flight and returned to base without causing any more harm, even though other pilots had earlier recorded in-flight footage.
“Since commissioning in 2010, the individual has served for an extended period as a fighter pilot, managing aircraft safely,” the report stated.
Although the type of aircraft involved was not specified in the report, the Yonhap news agency said that it was an F-15K.
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