Pilot targeting mistake suspected in South Korean fighter jets village bombing

Several civilians were injured, including four seriously, after Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs outside the designated training area during a joint military exercise with the United States. 

The incident occurred at approximately 10:04 on March 6, 2025, in Pocheon, a city located in northern South Korea about 25 kilometers from the heavily fortified border with North Korea.  

According to South Korea’s military, two KF-16 fighter jets were conducting a live-fire drill at the Seungjin Science and Technology Training Center when both jets mistakenly released four bombs each, for a total of eight bombs. The bombs struck a nearby village instead of the intended target area. 

The KF-16 is a South Korean variant of the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, a widely used multirole fighter aircraft. The KF-16 was licensed-produced in South Korea by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in the 1990s under a deal with the United States. 

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The bombs dropped during the incident were Mk-82 bombs, a widely used type of unguided general-purpose bomb. Each Mk-82 weighs approximately 500 pounds (about 227 kilograms) and is designed to deliver explosive force against various ground targets, including buildings, vehicles, and fortified positions. 

The targeting of the Mk-82 bombs involves pilots manually entering the coordinates for the target into the aircraft’s navigation and weapon systems before takeoff. During the flight, the aircraft’s systems calculate the optimal release point based on speed, altitude, and flight path. As the aircraft approaches the target, pilots typically confirm the coordinates visually before releasing the bombs.  

Though kits exist that convert the Mk-82 to a precision guided munition (PGM), any error in the input coordinates can result in a significant miss, as the bombs follow the physics of the release point and do not correct their path mid-flight. 

誤投下された地点の地上映像。炎まで見える。 pic.twitter.com/H8ckmD20eb— 𝘿 𝙏𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙓 𝙆𝙊𝙍𝙀𝘼 (707D) (@DROKA7073512) March 6, 2025

Suspected cause: pilot targeting mistake 

Preliminary findings from military authorities reported by Yonhap News Agency indicate that the accident stemmed from a coordinate input error made by the lead pilot prior to takeoff. When receiving the mission plan, the pilot manually entered the target coordinates using a keyboard and USB storage device. A mistake during this process resulted in the bombs being dropped in the wrong location. 

Military officials explained that this error could have been caught during three separate verification steps: when connecting the storage device to the aircraft, during the flight, and when visually confirming the target upon arrival. However, the verification process was seemingly overlooked at every stage, raising concerns about lax training practices. 

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Compounding the error, the second KF-16 pilot, who had correctly entered the coordinates, still dropped his bombs in the same incorrect location, following the lead aircraft’s actions as part of a synchronized launch drill. This raises further questions about whether proper in-flight communication and situational awareness were maintained during the exercise. 

The two pilots, both experienced officers with over 400 and 200 flight hours respectively, are currently under investigation. ROKAF also confirmed that radar monitoring detected the two jets slightly deviating from their planned flight path, though the deviation was not considered significant at the time. 

In addition to the injuries, the explosions caused severe property damage, including the destruction of two homes and a church. ROKAF pledged to provide full compensation to affected residents. 

A special investigation committee has been formed to thoroughly review the incident, focusing on pilot error, verification lapses, and procedural breakdowns within the training exercise. Authorities are also reviewing the pilots’ health and fitness prior to the flight, including whether alcohol consumption could have been a factor. The post Pilot targeting mistake suspected in South Korean fighter jets village bombing appeared first on AeroTime.

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