The South Korean Air Force on Thursday attributed the crash of a KA-1 light attack aircraft in December to a maintenance error that caused an engine abnormality, as well as the pilot’s ineptitude.
Wrapping up a monthslong investigation into the Dec. 26 crash, the armed service concluded the maintenance error led an engine fuel control system to malfunction, while the pilot was inept at handling the emergency situation.
The aircraft crashed in Hoengseong County, about 140 kilometers east of Seoul, after taking off from an air base in Wonju, 87 km east of the capital, on a mission to respond to North Korean drone infiltrations. Both of the pilots escaped safely.
In a 2021 depot maintenance process, the staff failed to properly attach a Teflon Tube, one of the components used to control the injection of fuel, which led the engine to operate abnormally, according to the investigators.
The Air Force plans to refer the case to a disciplinary panel to determine whether to reprimand those responsible for the crash.
The armed service has conducted special checks on KA-1 and KT-1 planes using the same fuel control model. It plans to resume their operation in steps after they have been confirmed to have no related problem.
Source: Yonhap News Agency