The timetable for the nation’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to become fully operational has not been affected by a chopper crash in northern Taiwan in April, an army official said yesterday.
“The Apaches will become operational in 2017” as scheduled, Major General Chen Chien-tsai (陳健財), deputy commander of the Republic of China Army Aviation Special Forces Command, said at a news conference to present the conclusions of the army’s investigation into the accident.
The chopper, one of 18 that have been delivered to Taiwan by the US since November last year, was on a training mission on April 25 when it crashed into the top of a three-story residential building in Taoyuan County’s Longtan Township (龍潭), damaging four homes, but causing no serious injuries.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Asked whether the incident had affected the delivery schedule of the other 12 Apaches to Taiwan, Chen said it had not.
The fourth batch of Apache helicopters is set to arrive in August, while the final batch is expected to be delivered in October, he said.
They are part of a NT$59.31 billion (US$2.01 billion) order for 30 of the latest Apache model.
The army said environmental factors and human error were found to be the main causes of the helicopter crash and that mechanical failure had been ruled out.
The aircraft was enveloped in cloud during a training mission at an altitude of 120 feet (36.6m) as the cloud ceiling dropped suddenly to below 200 feet, said Major General Huang Kuo-ming (黃國明), deputy inspector-general of the army.
This affected visibility and led to spatial disorientation of the pilot, Major Chen Lung-chien (陳龍謙), a flight instructor who was flying the helicopter at the time, Huang said.
However, he said Chen should have relied on his flight instruments to keep track of the aircraft’s altitude and direction.
Spatial disorientation refers to the inability of a person to determine his true body position, motion and altitude relative to the ground or his surroundings.
Chen and the other pilot on the ill-fated Apache, Lieutenant Colonel Liu Ming-hui (劉銘輝), have been suspended since the incident and have also been receiving counseling to help them recover from the incident, the army said.
They will be able to fly again after a series of evaluations, a process that could take up to six months, Chen said.
On the question of seeking compensation from the US since the Apache helicopter was still under its 18-month warranty, Huang said the ministry was studying that possibility.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an army official said that although mechanical failure has been ruled out, the US may be seen as responsible for not training Taiwanese pilots properly on how to deal with sudden climate changes, like those that occurred on the day of the crash.
The US and Taiwan are the only two countries that use AH-64E Apache helicopters.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force