A South Korean Navy P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances near Pohang Air Base and was destroyed by fire. The plane was participating in a military exercise when it went down on a hillside near the air base.
All four crew members on board were found dead. According to the Navy, “There have been no confirmed civilian casualties on the ground yet.” The bodies of the crew members are being transferred to the Pohang Naval Hospital. The crew included two officers (a pilot and a co-pilot) and two non-commissioned officers serving as tactical crew members.
“At the time of the accident, the maritime patrol aircraft was conducting take-off and landing training at Pohang Air Base,” a Navy official stated. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The Navy operates 16 Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, which are stationed at Jeju and Pohang bases. The aircraft involved in the crash was assigned to Jeju Air Base.
Photo South Korean Navy
