<Anchor>
Upon hearing the news that the North Korean drones had crossed over, the South Korean Air Force immediately launched fighter jets.
However, one of them crashed in Gangwon-do, and two pilots made an emergency escape right before the accident.
Reporter Park Seong-joon of G1 Broadcasting covered the story.
<Reporter>
A pillar of fire soars with black smoke.
The two pilots successfully escaped by parachute and waited for rescue.
[Residents witnessing a fighter plane crash: (A plane crash, right?) Yes.
Are you okay?
Both of you are alive.
It's fortunate.]
It was around 11:40 am today (26th) that a KA-1 belonging to the Air Force crashed into a farmland in Mukgye-ri, Hoengseong-eup.
Residents say one of the two fighter jets that took off from a nearby airbase crashed with a roar.
[Choi Man-shik / Witness to the fighter plane crash: There was a 'pop' sound.
When I looked at it, black smoke and flames came out, (fighters) were stuck in a line of sight (and crashed)...
.]
The fuselage was damaged to such an extent that it was difficult to recognize the shape, but two people, including the 27-year-old pilot A, escaped on their own and were taken to the hospital.
Private houses are concentrated near the crash site, which could have led to a major accident.
The KA-1 was introduced in 2005 as a tactical control aircraft developed based on the KT-1 basic trainer.
With a length of 10.9m and a wingspan of 10.3m, it is known to be armed with an autocannon and air-to-surface rockets, and perform missions such as close air support.
[Air Force official: The pilot has no health problems and is currently being transferred to a military hospital.] While
the Air Force is investigating the precise accident based on the testimonies of the pilots, a KF-16 fighter jet was killed at a nearby 20 km point a month ago. A series of accidents, such as falling, is increasing the anxiety of residents.
(Video coverage: Lee Kwang-soo G1 broadcast)