On the 6th, the KF-16 fighter jet misfire incident that occurred near the Seungjin Scientific Training Center in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, was revealed by military authorities on the 10th to be a human error due to the pilot and the unit commander's failure to conduct required checks. The pilot did not go through the coordinate verification procedure before the training, and all unit commanders failed to properly check the pilot's readiness.
The Air Force stated on this day during a press briefing on the interim investigation results, "The Air Force has formed an accident countermeasures headquarters to identify the cause through checks of flight recorders, site investigations on unexploded ordnance, interrogations of mission pilots, and testimonies from involved personnel," adding, "The causes of the incident were found in pilot factors, command management and supervision, and mission control at the firing range."
According to the Air Force investigation results, the two KF-16 pilots who dropped eight MK-82 bombs on the 6th did not input the coordinates correctly a day before the flight. The lead pilot of aircraft No. 1 was supposed to call out the coordinates for the pilot of aircraft No. 2 to input into the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS); however, the pilot of aircraft No. 2 entered them incorrectly. It was found that they did not verify afterward.
On the 6th, the two pilots loaded the flight data transfer device (DTC) storage device into each fighter cockpit before takeoff. It was found that the DTC for aircraft No. 2 malfunctioned, causing the data not to be saved properly. Subsequently, the pilot of aircraft No. 2 manually re-entered the correct target coordinates from the cockpit after starting the engine, but the pilot of aircraft No. 1 did not realize the mistake.
The purpose of this training was to drop bombs simultaneously from two aircraft to concentrate firepower on a target using a dense formation attack strategy. The pilot of aircraft No. 1 felt that the flight path and topography of the target area were different from the pre-training, but proceeded with the mission, trusting the coordinates and other information input into the aircraft. Although the pilot of aircraft No. 1 failed to properly confirm the target while trying to match the designated impact time, he reported it as "target confirmed."
The pilot of aircraft No. 2, focusing solely on maintaining the dense formation at the time, did not recognize the deviation from the coordinates, and dropped the bombs simultaneously under the instructions of the pilot of aircraft No. 1. An Air Force official stated, "The pilot of aircraft No. 1 should have re-confirmed the target more than three times throughout the entire mission process, but did not do so."
The unit commander, consisting of a squadron commander (colonel) and a battalion commander (lieutenant colonel), should have actively supervised considering that it was a practical joint training exercise, but it was noted that they emphasized only general safety matters. They have an obligation to confirm and supervise detailed flight preparation status, such as identifying problems with firing setup through checks of flight recorders.
An Air Force official expressed, "I sincerely bow my head in apology to the residents of Nogok-ri in Pocheon, who are suffering from serious injuries, destruction of their homes, property damage, and psychological trauma. I wish for a speedy recovery for the residents and service members who are currently undergoing treatment."