This file photo shows an F-15K jet. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL/CHILGOK, South Korea, April 5 (Korea Bizwire) – A South Korean fighter jet crashed into a mountain in a southern region Thursday, leaving two pilots missing, the Air Force said.
The F-15K Slam Eagle crashed at around 2:38 p.m. in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, on its way back to the Daegu Air Base after an hourlong mission, according to the Air Force.
The Air Force is trying to confirm the fate of the two pilots aboard the aircraft. It’s having difficulty conducting the search due to thick fog, although the local fire authorities have found the debris of the plane.
The two airmen were identified as Capt. Choi, aged 29, and 1st Lt. Park, 27.
It’s the first crash involving a South Korean F-15K fighter since 2006. An F-15K jet fell into the East Sea during a nighttime flight, killing two pilots at that time.
An F-16D fighter crashed in North Gyeongsang Province in 2016 but the two pilots survived.
The Air Force first introduced the F-15K, made by Boeing, in 2005. It operates more than 60 F-15Ks.
(Yonhap)
