The Air Force said an investigation found that the rollover of a T-50 advanced trainer at the Gwangju base on the 2nd occurred because one of the braking devices, the "anti-skid control unit," did not operate properly.
According to the Air Force on the 7th, the aircraft attempted an emergency landing after an engine warning light suddenly came on during flight training at the Gwangju base. A student pilot and an instructor pilot were seated front and back in the aircraft at the time.
When the warning light came on, the instructor pilot followed emergency landing procedures and said the aircraft touched down safely on the runway. However, during the subsequent deceleration, the "anti-skid control unit" (Anti-Skid System) did not operate, causing the landing gear tire to burst. As a result, the aircraft lost control, veered off the runway, and overturned.
The anti-skid control unit automatically adjusts brake pressure during landing to minimize wheel skidding. It is similar to a car's anti-lock braking system (ABS).
The Air Force is conducting a further detailed investigation into why the aircraft's anti-skid control unit did not operate.
It was found that the engine warning light during flight training was due to degraded performance of the fuel control unit, which regulates fuel flow and pressure in the aircraft. The Air Force is also analyzing the detailed cause of this. However, it believes there is no direct connection to the rollover.
The Air Force said both the instructor pilot and the student pilot aboard the aircraft were in good health with no particular external injuries.
The T-50 is the first supersonic advanced trainer developed with domestic technology. The accident aircraft was from the initial batch, with a unit price of 29.2 billion won. After the accident, the Air Force grounded all T-50 series aircraft and conducted a comprehensive inspection of systems including the problematic anti-skid control unit.
After confirming no additional issues, the Air Force plans to resume flights of T-50 series aircraft starting on the 8th. Continuing operation of the accident aircraft after maintenance is also under review.