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Two fighter jets collided midair during nighttime training last week

Published: 04 Mar. 2026, 20:06

A wildfire is seen after an F-16C fighter jet crashed near Yeongju in North Gyeongsang on Feb. 25. [NEWS1]

An F-16C fighter jet crashed near Yeongju, North Gyeongsang, last week after a midair collision with another fighter during a nighttime training exercise, the Korean Air Force said on Wednesday.

The aircraft went down during nighttime training in a mountainous area near Yeongju at about 7:31 p.m. on Feb. 26. The pilot was able to eject themself to safety, and no civilian was reported to be hurt.

The Air Force said the incident, involving two F-16C fighter jets, occurred when the lead aircraft was conducting a damage check on the other jet from behind.

The pilot of the lead jet, who was wearing night vision goggles, misjudged the distance between the planes and flew too close. The midair collision took place when the leading aircraft's fuel tank struck the right wing of the trailing jet.

Pilots are required to wear night vision goggles during nighttime training to enhance operational capability in low-light conditions.

The incident disabled the trailing fighter's head-up display system, which provides critical flight information, including altitude and position, on the cockpit window. The aircraft subsequently spiraled downward from the crash.

The pilot in the descending aircraft made an emergency escape after judging that the expected crash destination was not near any civilian property.

The Air Force said the pilot in the leading aircraft failed to judge the distance between the jets due to the goggles.

The night vision goggles limit a human's vision by nearly 40 degrees compared to normal eyesight and reduce a realistic sense of distance between objects, according to an Air Force official.

Yonhap