A search-and-rescue mission for an air force pilot off Hualien County would not cease after 72 hours, while training with F-16V aircraft has been suspended, the air force said yesterday amid reports of a malfunctioning flight system.
Contact with air force pilot Captain Hsin Po-yi’s (辛柏毅) fighter was lost off Hualien while on a routine training flight on Tuesday night.
He reported that he was engaging the ejection seat at 7:28:22pm and his plane disappeared from radar at 7:28:30pm, Air Force Command Inspector General Chiang Yi-cheng (江義誠) told a news conference in Hualien yesterday, adding that automated reports from the onboard Modular Mission Computer (MMC) had not confirmed a successful ejection.
Photo: CNA
The air force dispatched Lockheed C-130 Hercules planes, and Sikorsky S-10 and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Pingtung Airport and Hualien Airport to conduct search-and-rescue operations, while nine Coast Guard Administration ships arrived in the area at 7:36pm, Chiang said.
The navy had also dispatched a Keelung-class destroyer to aid in the operation, he said.
Hsin had not been found, but the air force would continue the operation beyond the “golden” 72-hour window for rescues, he said, adding that Hsin’s family had been brought to the Fifth Mixed Tactical Wing base at Hualien Airport.
Lieutenant Colonel Ting Wei-hsuan (丁尉軒) of the fifth wing told the news conference that the MMC unit in Hsin’s fighter had not reported any malfunctions over the past six months.
The air force said that it has been logging all faults found in F-16s, and has provided the data to the US to identify the sources of malfunctions and develop system patches to improve reliability.
Hsin has logged 611 hours of flight time, of which he spent 371 hours in F-16Vs, the air force said, adding that Tuesday’s weather and sea state were within exercise standards.
Colonel Chou Ming-ching (周明慶), of the Fifth Wing’s 27th Tactical Squadron, said the top causes of accidents involving F-16 pilots were midair collisions, spatial disorientation, G-force-induced loss of consciousness and controlled flight into terrain.
Based on Hsin’s reports on Tuesday, the pilot was aware that he was experiencing spatial disorientation and had done everything he could in the situation, Chou said.
The MMC failure seems to have been pivotal.
“There are several levels of modular mission computer malfunctions. In this case, the aircraft’s flight path was no longer displayed, so Captain Hsin was unable to obtain information on his attitude,” Chou said.
“The pilot did report an MMC malfunction during the mission,” Ting said.
“We will urge the US side to expedite software updates to improve system reliability,” he said.
The Ministry of National Defense dispatched mobile trucks equipped with digital microwave systems to test its backup Internet relay systems and ensure reliable connectivity between units, said ministry officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Separately, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) quoted President William Lai (賴清德) as saying that he had instructed the defense ministry and other agencies to devote all forces to the search-and-rescue mission, adding that he hopes Hsin would be returned safe and well.
Lai also urged all political parties, as well as the public, to pray for Hsin’s safe return.
Additional reporting by You Tai-lang, Hua Meng-ching, Chen Cheng-yu and Chiu Chun-fu
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