Overview
- The single-seat KF-16 went off the runway at Chungju at about 4:38 p.m. Tuesday as it prepared for a training takeoff, and the pilot was unharmed.
- The Air Force said the excursion was caused by damage to the nose gear tire from a foreign object on the airfield.
- According to the service, the pilot detected the problem and attempted to stop in line with procedures but directional control was lost.
- No casualties were reported, and the Air Force found no aircraft technical fault and set operations to resume Thursday after checks.
- The KF-16 is a Korean-built F-16 variant that anchors the fleet, and the event follows recent mishap probes, including a June takeoff emergency in Alaska.