Four Dead as South Korean Navy Patrol Plane Crashes During Training Mission

A South Korean Navy P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft crashed during a training flight on Thursday, killing all four crew members on board, the Navy confirmed in a statement.

The aircraft took off from a naval airbase in the southeastern port city of Pohang at approximately 1:43 p.m. local time. It went down shortly afterward under circumstances that remain unclear. Authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash.

Emergency response teams rushed to the scene following reports from local residents of an aircraft crashing into a forested hill near an apartment complex, sparking a blaze. Photos from the site show firefighters battling flames and smoke rising through the trees, with scorched debris believed to be part of the downed aircraft scattered across the area.

The Navy confirmed that all four crew members had been found deceased and that recovery operations were ongoing. No civilian injuries have been reported.

In response to the incident, the Navy has temporarily grounded its fleet of P-3 patrol planes and established a task force to determine the cause of the crash.

“This is a tragic loss,” a Navy spokesperson said, “and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of the crew. Every effort is being made to support them during this difficult time.”

The P-3 Orion is a long-range patrol aircraft primarily used for anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance. While it has a strong safety record, the aging aircraft has seen a decline in use in recent years due to modernization efforts.

The crash comes just months after a separate aviation disaster in December, when a Jeju Air passenger plane went down during landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea, killing 179 of the 181 people on board — one of the deadliest air incidents in the country’s history.

As investigations into Thursday’s crash begin, questions are mounting over the maintenance and operational safety protocols surrounding South Korea’s aging military aviation fleet.