Minister of National Defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) yesterday said a preliminary investigation into the cause of a fatal crash involving two military aircraft on Tuesday ruled out mechanical problems, but promised to explain the cause of the accident once the investigation is completed.
“It is still under investigation whether the accident happened due to weather conditions or human factors,” he said before attending a meeting at the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters.
Kao’s comments came amid a fresh round of accusations from legislators over the government’s failure to modernize its air force in recent years.
Photo: CNA
The accident happened on Tuesday night when an F-5F jet and a RF-5 reconnaissance aircraft crashed into the mountains near the Suhua Highway along the east coast. Three pilots lost their lives.
The crash marked the sixth mishap involving F-5s in the past seven years. The air force now has 32 F-5Fs in its fleet, and it has grounded all F-5 aircraft while the investigation is being conducted.
Kao said the investigation confirmed the two planes met proper maintenance standards prior to the accident and said it was unlikely that any mechanical problem would cause two planes to crash at the same time in the same location.
When asked whether the ministry would ban F-5 aircraft permanently, Kao said the condition of each plane is different because of service hours, adding that the ministry would make necessary assessments on each plane’s situation.
“Purchasing new aircraft is not the only way to solve the problem. Raising the capability of current aircraft and prolonging their service times are also issues to consider,” he said.
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