The Air Force attributed the KF-16 fighter jet's misfire incident, which occurred on the morning of the 6th in the vicinity of the Pocheon Promoting Scientific Training Center, to 'pilot's coordinate input error.' It was reported that such a misfire incident had not occurred in over ten years.

An Air Force official said during a briefing on the fighter jet misfire incident in the afternoon, "It has been identified as a pilot's coordinate input error, which was also confirmed through the pilot's statement. This training involved a tactical exercise where the first aircraft fires, followed by the second aircraft launching simultaneously in close formation," and added, "Both aircraft are required to input coordinates, and the second aircraft is believed to have launched based on the coordinates input by the first aircraft."

On Jun. 6, during the joint training of South Korea and the U.S., a bomb from a fighter jet mistakenly fell onto a civilian area. The scientific investigation team is examining the scene in Nogok-ri, Ildong-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. /Courtesy of News1

According to the Air Force, after receiving a mission from the superior unit, the pilot inputs coordinates into specific machinery and equipment on the ground the day before the flight. On the flight day, the pilot conducts a briefing, boards the aircraft, and installs the relevant equipment. Once the equipment is installed, the input coordinates are set in the aircraft. The pilot must verify whether the coordinates are accurate after the flight and confirm the coordinates again before dropping bombs, ensuring to check directly after the bombs are dropped.

The Air Force believes that the misfire incident occurred because the pilot incorrectly input the coordinates on the ground. In this incident, the first aircraft made the initial incorrect coordinate input, and the second aircraft dropped bombs based on the first. An Air Force official said, "It is necessary to confirm what happened with the second aircraft."

Due to the incorrect coordinate input, the bomb landed about 8 kilometers away from the training ground, hitting a civilian house. As a result of this incident, two people were seriously injured and 13 sustained minor injuries. Additionally, five dwellings, one church, one greenhouse, and one cargo vehicle were reported damaged. All dropped shells exploded without any unexploded ordnance.

The Ministry of National Defense has fully suspended and controlled all live-fire training conducted on the ground and in the air until the cause of the misfire incident is clearly determined.

The scene of the accident where a fighter jet bomb mistakenly fell in Nogok-ri, Ildong-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do on Jun. 6. /Courtesy of Yonhap News