Overview

• Surveillance footage shows the P-3CK abruptly nosediving into a mountain about six minutes after departing Pohang air base; its final transmission occurred at 1:48 p.m.
• All four officers aboard—including two pilots with 1,700 and 900 flight hours—were killed; no civilian casualties were reported despite the crash site’s proximity to homes.
• Funeral ceremonies for the crew begin May 30, followed by burials at Daejeon National Cemetery on Sunday after their ranks were posthumously promoted.
• The Navy has grounded all 16 P-3 maritime patrol planes for a special safety inspection, marking the first fleet-wide suspension of these “submarine killer” aircraft.
• A joint military-civilian investigation will analyze cockpit voice recorder clips, flight track data and wreckage to determine the cause of South Korea’s first-ever P-3 crash.