Two KT-1 Training Planes Collision In The Air, Four Student Pilots And Instructor Killed

Pesawat KT-1 Korea Selatan. (Wikimedia Commons/Republic of Korea Armed Forces)

JAKARTA - Two training planes, each with a student pilot and an instructor, collided mid-air during a practice flight on Friday.

The two planes that collided were KT-1 types, undergoing training with each carrying a student pilot and a flight instructor.

A total of 130 soldiers, 95 police officers and 60 firefighters as well as three helicopters were immediately dispatched to the crash site, Reuters quoted April 1 from Yonhap News Agency as referring to local government officials.

The Air Force said the crash occurred about 6 km (3.7 miles) south of the KT-1 aircraft base in the southeastern city of Sacheon, at about 1:37 p.m. local time.

"Despite their efforts to save themselves, all, two student pilots and two flight instructors on both aircraft were killed," the force said in a statement.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in offered his condolences to the families of the victims of this tragic accident. Meanwhile, the Air Force said there were no civilian casualties, but had formed a team to determine the cause of the crash and damage, including to the resident community.

The crash site is located in a mostly agricultural area. Photos published by Yonhap showed smoke billowing from the mountain, while a car was crushed by plane debris as it was parked in front of a farmhouse.

The KT-1 is a single-engine basic trainer and light attack aircraft jointly built by the state-run Defense Development Agency and a contractor, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).