Two Air Force trainer jets collide mid-air — incident kept from public because no one was hurt

Two KT-1 trainer jets belonging to the Air Force's 3rd Fighter Wing collided in midair in a close call that has only recently come to light.

According to the Air Force on Sunday, the two KT-1 trainers made airborne contact at around 9:17 a.m. on Sept. 1 while coming in to land. The collision partially damaged the fuselages and wings of both aircraft.

The Air Force said the incident was reported immediately through the chain of command to South Korea's Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. However, it said it did not notify the press because both aircraft completed their flights normally and landed safely, and neither pilot sustained injuries.

The primary cause of the accident was determined to be the pilots' failure to maintain a forward lookout, and those involved have been referred to a disciplinary committee.

To prevent further incidents, the Air Force said it distributed the findings of its investigation into the midair collision to flight units through its inspection channels.

The KT-1 trainer has been involved in a previous fatal accident, in which two aircraft collided during a training flight, killing all four people on board — including student pilots and flight instructors.