A master sergeant yesterday morning died after she was sucked into an engine during a routine inspection of a fighter jet at an air base in Taichung, the Air Force Command Headquarters said.
The officer, surnamed Hu (胡), was conducting final landing checks at Ching Chuan Kang (清泉崗) Air Base when she was pulled into the jet’s engine for unknown reasons, the air force said in a news release.
She was transported to a hospital for emergency treatment, but could not be revived, it said.
Photo: Ou Su-mei, Taipei Times
The air force expressed its deepest sympathies over the incident, and vowed to work with authorities as they investigate.
It also promised to assist Hu’s family amid their bereavement, and said it would conduct a thorough review to improve flight procedures in the hopes of preventing a recurrence.
Reports said that Hu had served in the military for about 17 years.
The incident reportedly occurred when she was setting up wheel chocks under an Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) after it had landed.
An expert with knowledge of the matter expressed disbelief.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said that the chance of a ground crew member being sucked in by an IDF engine is “minuscule.”
After the plane lands, the motor speed is on a slow “standby” rotation and should have stopped by the time wheel chocks were being deployed, they said, adding that there would not have been time to for the engine to speed up fast enough to pull anyone in.
In addition, the engine intake opening on the IDF is relatively small, especially compared with the single-engine F-16, with two smaller engines on either side of the fuselage that would not be large enough to fit an adult person, they said.
The source said it should not be difficult to investigate, as security cameras are installed in the hangar.
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