Korean Air Force grounds KF-16 fleet after accident at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska

The Korean Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of KF-16 fighter jets after one aircraft sustained damage during takeoff at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday.

A squadron of KF-16 fighter lands at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on June 4. [NEWS1]

The Korean Air Force has temporarily grounded its fleet of KF-16 fighter jets after one aircraft sustained damage during takeoff at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska on Tuesday.

The incident occurred during the multinational Red Flag Alaska joint training exercise.

The KF-16 experienced an anomaly while accelerating on the runway. Both pilots ejected safely, but the aircraft's front section caught fire, resulting in partial damage, according to the Air Force.

The Air Force, in response, dispatched an accident investigation team and an emergency maintenance team, comprising approximately 20 personnel, to Eielson Air Force Base via a KC-330 multi-role tanker transport aircraft.

The team arrived on Thursday morning and commenced on-site investigations.

"The investigation will determine the exact cause of the accident, including whether it occurred during the takeoff roll or after liftoff," said Jang Dong-ha, head of the Air Force's public affairs team, on Thursday. "We will provide further explanations based on the findings."

The Air Force operates approximately 160 F-16 jets, which include about 30 imported F-16s and 130 domestically produced KF-16s, making them a significant component of Korea's combat aircraft fleet.

The accident occurred as the KF-16 prepared for local adaptation training ahead of the main Red Flag-Alaska exercise from June 12 to 27.

Korea has deployed six KF-16s for this year's exercise, which includes participation from the United States, Japan, Belgium and Korea. The jets arrived in the United States on June 5.

The main phase of the training is scheduled to begin in the latter half of the exercise, with the current period focused on mission briefings and coordination with pilots from other countries.

"We are working in cooperation with the U.S. side [on the accident investigation]," Jang said. "Once the investigation is complete, we will decide whether to continue participating in the training or return home."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY BAE JAE-SUNG [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]