Two defense experts on Saturday said that a broken fan blade from one engine hitting the other may be behind the crash of a AT-5 Yung Ying (勇鷹, “Brave Eagle”) trainer jet that suffered double engine failure off the coast of Taitung County.
A two-seater indigenous advanced jet trainer (AJT) crashed at about 8:40am on Saturday 5 nautical miles (9.26km) from Taitung County during a training mission.
Photo: Ritchie B Tongo, EPA-EFE
The sole occupant of the jet trainer was air force Major-in-Training Lin Wei (林瑋), who was able to eject and parachute to safety after both of the aircraft's engines failed, the air force said.
The 34-year-old displayed mild signs of hypothermia following his rescue and has since been placed under observation at the Mackay Memorial Hospital Taitung branch, doctors said.
Asked for comment, retired air force Lieutenant General Chang Yen-ting (張延廷) and Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌), an associate research fellow at the military-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that a broken fan blade from one of the plane's two engines accidentally hitting the other could have been a potential cause.
According to Chang, a broken fan blade is a more likely explanation for the crash, as it is extremely rare for other common sources of engine failures — such as bird strikes, compressor stalls, malfunctioning gears, and lubrication and main fuel system issues — to cause both engines to fail at the same time.
Shu said he did not believe the AJT had any major design flaws, as the trainer is based on the air force's long-serving Indigenous Defense Fighter.
Saturday's incident marked the first time a Brave Eagle had suffered an accident since the air force started to receive the planes from Taichung-based aircraft maker, Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) in 2021 to replace its aging AT-3 jet trainers.
To date, AIDC has delivered 41 out of 66 Brave Eagles ordered by the air force.
The remaining aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by the end of next year.
As of press time, the air force has yet to locate the whereabouts of the crashed trainer, which ditched in waters off the coast of Taitung.
Meanwhile, doctors said that Lin Wei's condition has continued to stabilize, adding that the pilot could be released from the hospital as soon as today depending on X-ray and related test results.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS