T-50 supersonic jet skids off runway, flips over, catches fire during Singapore Airshow aerial display

SINGAPORE. A Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 “Golden Eagle” supersonic advanced trainer and light attack jet, built in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, crashed and caught fire during the aerial display at Singapore Airshow.

(Video: Kelvin Seet.)

A single pilot in the Black Eagles aerial acrobatics, or aerobatics, team was operating the single-seat aircraft that belongs to the South Korean Air Force and was scheduled to perform a flying demonstration in the aerial display at the Singapore Airshow.

(Photo: Today Online/Today reader)

The jet was preparing to take off from Singapore’s Changi Airport when, officials say, a tire burst and caused the jet to skid off into the road verge, or strip of grass on the side of the runway. The jet then flipped over and caught fire. Emergency crews extinguished the fire and treated the pilot for light injuries. The runway was closed for roughly four hours, disrupting flights, while the damaged aircraft was removed and all debris removed.

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Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore officials released the following statement:

"At around 1324 hours Singapore local time, one aircraft of the Black Eagles aerobatic team from the Republic of Korea Air Force skidded and crashed into the grass verge at the side of Changi Airport’s Runway 1 and caught fire. The aircraft was taking off for the flying display programme at the Singapore Airshow 2018. Airport Emergency Service responded to the incident immediately and the fire was extinguished. The pilot sustained light injuries and is being treated."

KAI officials describe the T-50 as South Korea’s first indigenous supersonic aircraft, and an advanced trainer and light attack jet with high-tech avionics.

Intelligent Aerospace, the global aerospace technology network, reports on the latest tools, technologies, and trends of vital importance to aerospace professionals throughout the industry and around the globe, including engineers, engineering managers, and other key decision-makers involved in the research & development, design, test, manufacture, maintenance, upgrade and retrofit, management, and acquisition of electronics hardware and software components, tools, and systems for commercial and military fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and unmanned aircraft, air traffic control, airport operations, satellites, and space.