Searchers have salvaged the crash survivable memory unit (CSMU) of an F-16 jet that crashed last month in New Taipei City, which could help solve the mystery behind the crash that led to the death of the pilot.
The CSMU was found at about noon on Monday and is to be sent to the US manufacturer for further analysis in the hope of determining the cause of the accident, the air force said in a statement.
The crash occurred on June 4 when an F-16 jet piloted by major Wu Yen-ting (吳彥霆) disappeared from radar screens at 1:43pm, nearly 30 minutes after it took off from Hualien Air Force Base to participate in the annual Han Kuang military exercises.
The military later said it believed the airplane had crashed in mountains north of New Taipei City after a hiker called police at about 3:30pm to report having found possible wreckage from the jet.
Parts of Wu’s body were later found on Wufenshan (五分山) in New Taipei City’s Rueifang District (瑞芳).
Searchers on June 5 found the jet’s flight data recorder, commonly known as the “black box,” but the CSMU, which is normally inside the recorder, was missing.
Based on its initial findings, the air force has attributed the tragedy to “a combination of factors, including poor weather conditions and human error,” but has yet to identify a definitive cause.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
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About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
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