South Korean fighter jet dropped bomb by mistake due to pilot error?

Two KF-16 fighter jets of the South Korean Air Force on March 6 mistakenly dropped eight bombs on a residential area in Pocheon City during a live-fire exercise. An official from the South Korean Air Force told reporters that initial investigation revealed that a pilot had entered the wrong coordinates of the target before taking off, leading to the incident. The two fighter jets later dropped the bombs in an area about 8 km away from the training target.

The official added that the military is also investigating whether the pilot followed procedures when entering the coordinates. The investigation is also looking into the possibility of an air traffic control error.

South Korean Defense Ministry officials said they would suspend all live-fire drills until the cause of the incident was determined.

The KF-16 is a variant of the single-seat F-16 fighter from the US, developed and put into service with the South Korean military.

The bomb incident injured at least 15 people and damaged several buildings. The South Korean Air Force apologized for the incident and pledged to pay compensation. The incident occurred as the South Korean and US militaries conducted live-fire exercises, involving more than 160 military vehicles. South Korean officials said the joint exercises would continue, but they were considering some changes to field training.

This is the first time a South Korean fighter jet has accidentally dropped a bomb, causing casualties. In 2004, a South Korean Air Force F-5B fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb in an area in Boryeong City, but no one was injured.