Pilot error appears to have caused an accident involving the South Korean Air Force's KF-16 fighter jet during multinational air drills in the U.S. state of Alaska earlier in the week.

Citing a preliminary probe result, the Air Force said on Thursday that the accident that set the jet on fire took place after the pilots mistakenly tried to take off from the taxiway rather than the runway.

Three KF-16s were scheduled to lift off from Eielson Air Force Base at around 9:02 a.m. Wednesday, Korea time, while taking part in the U.S.-led multinational Red Flag air exercise.

The pilots operating all three jets mistakenly entered the taxiway, prompting the U.S. Air Force traffic control tower to instruct the second jet to cancel takeoff after seeing the first aircraft take flight.

The distance to stop the second jet was insufficient and its two pilots eventually made an emergency ejection as their aircraft caught fire while skidding to a stop on the grass at the end of the taxiway.

While the pilots did not suffer major injuries, their jet was partially damaged in the fire.