The nation yesterday grounded its entire fleet of F-5 jets after two disappeared over the ocean in the afternoon.
Citing information from the Ministry of National Defense, the National Rescue Command Center said that four F-5Es took off from Taitung Airbase at 2:30pm for a routine training mission before two of the jets disappeared from radar screens 1.4 nautical miles (2.6km) east of Pingtung’s Mudan Township (牡丹), apparently after a mid-air collision, at about 3:06pm.
As of press time last night, rescuers were searching for captain Pan Ying-chun (潘穎諄), one of the pilots.
.Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Lieutenant Lo Shang-hua (羅尚樺), the pilot of the other plane, was found unconscious at sea at about 4pm and rushed to hospital. He later died of his injuries.
The nation manufactured 242 single-seat F-5s and 66 two-seater F-5s under license from Northrop Corp between 1973 and the mid-1980s.
An F-5 jet crashed and its pilot was killed during a training exercise east of Taiwan in October last year.
The pilot, who had ejected and was rescued, later died despite hours of emergency treatment.
In November, an F-16 was lost off the east coast minutes after taking off from a base in Hualien.
In October last year, sources said that the military plans to retire its F-5 jets in 2026, when the US completes delivery of 66 F-16Vs.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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