The Air Force said tire damage caused a KF-16 fighter jet to skid off a runway while taking off for training at an air base in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, on Tuesday.

In a notice released on Wednesday, the Air Force said the pilot had attempted to stop the aircraft after detecting abnormal conditions on the plane but opted for runway excursion after damage to the front tire, which had been caused by foreign material, made it impossible to maintain direction.

The Air Force said it will resume the training of KF-16 fighters on Thursday now that it has ruled out an aircraft defect as the cause of Tuesday’s incident. 

During Tuesday’s mishap, the pilot came to a stop in a field next to the runway and walked out of the aircraft, unharmed, without ejecting.