South Korea's Navy grounds spy planes after fatal crash

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korea's navy has grounded almost a dozen surveillance aircraft following the crash of a P-3CK patrol plane last Thursday, the Yonhap news agency reported on Monday.

The aircraft went down on a mountain in Pohang on May 29, roughly 270 kilometers (167.7 miles) southeast of Seoul, during a routine training exercise, killing all four uniformed personnel on board.

South Korea’s military also said Monday it is in talks with the US over ways to receive surveillance support, with the navy scheduled to deploy the P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft in July.

"We are getting support from Coast Guard surveillance aircraft and talks are also underway with the US military on receiving surveillance aircraft support from the US Indo-Pacific Command," Col. Lee Sung-jun, an army spokesperson, said.

The navy has formed a joint investigation committee comprising military personnel, civilian experts, and government officials to determine the cause of last week's patrol aircraft crash.

Efforts are also ongoing to recover data from a damaged flight voice recorder, which may shed light on the aircraft’s final moments.

According to the Navy, the last contact between the control tower and the plane occurred one minute before the crash, with no signs of distress, raising the possibility of a sudden mechanical failure.

In response, the Defense Ministry convened a meeting of senior officials on Monday to assess potential shortcomings in operational readiness, training, and procedures related to the incident.