A Navy P-3 maritime patrol aircraft crashed into a mountainside near a naval base in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, during a routine military training exercise, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The aircraft, carrying four personnel, took off from an air base in Pohang at 1:43 p.m. local time. Shortly after take-off, it crashed in a mountainous area close to the base for reasons that have not yet been identified.
The Republic of Korea Navy confirmed the incident in an afternoon statement, noting that the patrol aircraft was participating in a scheduled training drill at the time of the crash.
As of 2:55 p.m., the Navy confirmed there were no civilian casualties. However, the condition of the four individuals on board remained unknown at the time of reporting.
“A P-3 maritime patrol aircraft that took off for training from an air base in Pohang at 1:43 p.m. crashed at a nearby location due to unidentified reasons,” the Navy said in a message distributed to the press.
Photos released by local media show heavy smoke rising from the crash site, suggesting a fire may have broken out following the impact.
According to the National Fire Agency, emergency services were alerted around 1:50 p.m. and quickly dispatched 40 firefighters and two helicopters to the scene to tackle the blaze and begin recovery efforts.
Incident Adds to String of Recent Military Accidents
The crash is the latest in a series of concerning incidents involving South Korean military aircraft in recent months.
In mid-March, a Surion utility helicopter and an uncrewed aerial vehicle collided at an Army base in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, resulting in both aircraft being destroyed by fire. There were no casualties in that incident.
Earlier that month, on 6 March, two KF-16 fighter jets accidentally dropped ordnance on a village in Pocheon, also in Gyeonggi Province, after a pilot entered incorrect target coordinates during a training operation. Multiple civilians were injured in that incident.
The cause of Thursday’s crash in Pohang remains under investigation, and the Navy has not yet released further details on the aircraft’s flight path or the identities of those on board.
Authorities are expected to provide an update once the rescue and recovery operations are complete.
