Four South Korean Navy officers were killed after a P-3 maritime patrol aircraft crashed in Pohang during a training flight. The incident, the first of its kind involving the P-3 fleet, has prompted a full investigation and grounding of similar aircraft. No civilian casualties were repo
All four Navy officers aboard a South Korean maritime patrol aircraft were killed after the plane crashed on a mountain in Pohang, a southeastern coastal city, on Thursday afternoon. The South Korean Navy confirmed the fatalities and launched a full investigation into the cause of the accident.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:49 p.m., just six minutes after the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft took off at 1:43 p.m. from an air base in Pohang for routine landing and takeoff training. Witnesses in the area reported hearing loud explosions and seeing plumes of smoke rising from the mountainside, prompting emergency responses.
According to the Navy, the aircraft was carrying four personnel—two commissioned officers and two non-commissioned officers—when it went down. Sadly, the bodies of all four officers were later recovered from the crash site. Their identities have not yet been disclosed, pending notification of their families.
The aircraft involved was a P-3CK, part of a fleet of 16 P-3 maritime patrol aircraft operated by the South Korean Navy. These aircraft are known for their advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities and are often referred to as “submarine killers.” The P-3 fleet includes eight older P-3C models introduced in 1995 and eight upgraded P-3CK models renovated by Korea Aerospace Industries.
The Navy noted that the downed aircraft was usually stationed at a naval unit on Jeju Island but had been deployed to Pohang specifically for the training mission. In response to the incident, the Navy has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of P-3 aircraft as a precaution and has formed an investigative team to probe the circumstances surrounding the crash.
No civilian casualties were reported, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Acting President Lee Ju-ho was immediately briefed on the situation by acting Defence Minister Kim Seon-ho. President Lee has ordered exhaustive search and rescue operations and emphasized the importance of preventing any further environmental damage in the area surrounding the crash.
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This incident marks the first known crash of a P-3 aircraft in South Korean military service, raising concerns over the safety protocols surrounding aging military aircraft and the need for stringent maintenance and training standards.
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is also involved in the investigation, particularly in determining whether a runway deviation or mechanical failure played a role in the crash.
