F-15K Fighter Jet Incident: How a Former Pilot’s Photo Op Led to 870 Million Won Compensation

Translation result. The military initially ordered a former Air Force pilot to reimburse roughly 870,000,000 KRW (≈ $652,500) for damage he caused to a fighter during an unplanned maneuver to take a personal photo. The Board of Audit later cut the amount, holding him responsible for about 87,000,000 KRW (≈ $65,250). The aircraft involved was an F-15K, the Air Force’s primary fighter.

The Board of Audit published an inspection report on April 22 documenting improper expenditures and financial leakages. According to the report, former Air Force pilot A told his squadron during a preflight briefing around December 2021 that he planned to film his flight to mark his last sortie before an upcoming personnel transfer.

After completing the mission and returning to base, another pilot in the formation offered to take photos. To enable the shoot, A maneuvered his jet; during that maneuver A’s tail fin struck the other aircraft’s left wing. Quick reactions by A and the other aircrew prevented injuries, but both jets sustained damage, producing roughly 870,000,000 KRW (≈ $652,500) in repair costs.

The Air Force suspended A. He later retired and became a civilian airline pilot. The service applied a provision that holds accounting-related government personnel financially liable for intentional or grossly negligent damage to government property and ordered A to reimburse about 870,000,000 KRW (≈ $652,500).

A acknowledged negligence but appealed to the Board of Audit, arguing he was not an “accounting-related” employee responsible for protecting and maintaining military equipment and that he did not markedly breach his duty of care.

The board rejected that claim. It found A qualified as an accounting-related employee—a government official entrusted with and exercising full authority over assigned equipment—because he had been assigned the fighter and operated it independently. The board determined he committed gross negligence by executing an unplanned maneuver for a photo op and therefore bore financial responsibility.

However, the board reduced the amount of liability by 90%, setting A’s responsibility at approximately 87,000,000 KRW (≈ $65,250). It cited testimony that aircrew had taken photos on other flights and that Major A had announced his intent to shoot during the mission briefing, which appeared to receive tacit consent.

The board also placed partial responsibility on the Air Force for not curbing the practice of pilots taking personal commemorative photos in flight. In mitigating the penalty, it noted that A, under pressure, commanded the flight back to base safely with no additional damage; that he had served as a fighter pilot since commissioning in 2010; and that he had a long record of safely managing aircraft and supporting maintenance efficiency through test flights.