A T-34 trainer aircraft this morning crashed at Gangshan Air Base in Kaohsiung during a training mission, killing two pilots, both with more than 2,000 flight hours in the aircraft, the air force said.
Lieutenant Colonel Lu Chi-yu (盧季佑) and Lieutenant Colonel Kuo Chun-nan (過俊男) were flying the aircraft, tail number 3414, on a simulated engine-failure route training mission, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said.
The aircraft crashed near the northern end of the runway at 8:08am, killing both pilots, Sun said.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
Air force Commander General Cheng Jung-feng (鄭榮豐) traveled to the crash site to assess the situation, and Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) instructed the air force to assist the pilots’ families and conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, he said.
The air force said it has formed a special task force to investigate the cause of the crash.
The task force would review the aircraft's mechanical condition, training procedures and safety measures to ensure the safety of future exercises, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said in a statement.
"I'm deeply saddened by this sudden tragedy. On behalf of the country, I would like to thank the two pilots for their sacrifices and contributions, and extend my deepest condolences to their families," President William Lai (賴清德) told reporters in Taipei.
Kuo, 46, was married and graduated from the Republic of China Air Force Academy in 2004. He had accumulated 2,172 flight hours in the T-34, the air force said.
Lu, 41, was married with a son and a daughter, and graduated from the academy in 2008. He had logged 2,114 flight hours in the T-34, it said.
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