A 25-year-old Northrop F-5F training plane crashed into a farmer's field in Chiayi County yesterday morning, killing the pilot and leaving his co-pilot critically injured.
The pilot, Lieutenant-Colonel Chou Chieh-wei (
His co-pilot, Lieutenant Hsia Wen-yu (夏文裕), 27, suffered a broken leg and sustained serious burns on his chest, neck and face.
PHOTO: TSAI MIN-YI, TAIPEI TIMES
The F-5F fighter plane had previously been used as a scout craft, but was recently converted into a training plane.
A preliminary investigation by the air force showed that the crash might have been the result of either mechanical problems or a collision with a bird.
However, a final evaluation of the cause would be reserved until all the debris has been collected and the investigation completed, officials said.
Air Force Headquarters Spokesman Lieutenant-General Liu Yi-tien (劉翼天) said that the two-seat training craft, accompanied by a single-seat F-5E "Tiger II" fighter, took off from the Taitung Air Force Base at around 7am yesterday for a practice mission at Chiayi Air Force Base.
Around 7:26am, eyewitnesses on the ground said they saw sparks and fire coming out of the F-5F's engine.
A few seconds later, the plane crashed into a field in Taipao City (
"Although there was no sign that the pilots were trying to escape during the crash, Chou was discovered in the field, while Hsia was pulled out of his seat among the debris," Liu said.
Investigators said they discovered indications of bird collision on the other plane's left rear landing gear when it returned to the base.
They are now speculating that the crashed F-5F may have sucked a bird into an engine, which would have lead to a sudden engine failure as well as mechanical problems, Liu said.
In response to questions about the age of the plane, Liu said that the air force was not planning to retire the F-5 series any time soon.
"[The F-5s] might be old, but they are in good shape," Liu said.
Nonetheless, the air force's F-5 series trainers and fighters were immediately grounded for safety checks yesterday.
According to an air force history book, the nation has been using aircraft belonging to the F-5 series for the past 32 years, during which time it lost 32 pilots to accidents involving the planes.
Among the F-5 series, the F-5E "Tiger II" is a classic. The F-5E was chosen because it is small, fast and reliable, and is still used by Taiwan's Top Gun school, considered to be the nation's elite.
During combat drills, these pilots are usually called on to play the role of the enemy.
Taiwan's 308 F-5 series fighters were all built domestically under the authorization and with the help of Northrop between 1974 and 1986.
The F-5E was also the plane flown by the instructor in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun.
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