Air Platforms

South Korea returns F-5s to flight status

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

20 October 2013

A RoKAF F-5E Tiger II, similar to this Chilean Air Force example, crashed while en route to a training exercise on 26 September. Source: Katsuhiko Tokunaga

The Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-Guk Kong Goon [RoKAF]) has lifted the grounding order on its Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II fighters, having determined the cause of a crash of one of the fighters earlier in the year, national media reported on 18 October.

All 150 F-5E and 34 F-5F platforms still in service were returned to flight status on 21 October after a board inquiry into the 26 September loss of a single-seat F-5E found that poor maintenance had caused the pilot to lose control while attempting an emergency landing at Cheongju Air Base in the central Chungcheong Province. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered shortly after.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, investigators concluded that poor maintenance was the cause behind the crash, following tests on a flight control rod similar to that which had failed in the stricken aircraft.

Having entered RoKAF service in 1978, the F-5 is due to be retired in 2017.

(158 words)

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