A dual-seat IDF plane yesterday crashed in a mountainous area in Nantou County yesterday, the air force said, but the two pilots on board ejected and landed safely on the ground.
The pilots, who sustained minor injuries, were rushed to a hospital for treatment and were reported to be in stable condition.
The cause of the crash of plane No. 1617 is not yet known, the air force said. However, mechanical problems are suspected to be the cause.
The crash occurred at 11:49am, 20 minutes after the fighter took off from Taichung's CCK air base on a flight-instrument training mission.
The plane's crew was a flight instructor and a trainee. The flight instructor, Major Wang Chu-hsiang (王祖祥), has over 1,600 flight hours while the trainee, Lieutenant Sung Yueh-tun (宋岳暾) has about 400 flight hours.
One of the pilots told reporters that they ejected after losing control of the aircraft about 2.7km above Puli township.
The plane plunged into a mountainous and wooded area and exploded. A small fire broke out as a result of the explosion, but it was contained.
The pilots landed not far from their downed plane.
It is the second crash of an IDF plane since the locally-built fighters went into service in 1993.
A single-seat version crashed into the sea off Taichung in 1995 after developing engine problems. The pilot survived by ejecting.
However, a prototype of the plane also crashed into the sea off Taichung during a test flight before the IDFs became operational. The pilot in that incident was killed.
The IDF has had the reputation of being the safest of the air force's second-generation fighter planes, including the US-made F-16 and French-produced Mirage 2000-5.
Four F-16s and three Mirage 2000-5s have been lost since these planes entered service.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS