TAIPEI: Taiwan’s air force grounded all training jets after one of the aircraft crashed on Saturday (Feb 15) due to “dual engine failure”, with the pilot ejecting safely.
The locally-made Brave Eagle went down after taking off from Chihhang air base in southern Taitung county at 8.40am, the air force said in a statement.
The pilot, identified as Major Lin, was rescued and taken to hospital where he was in “good health” with no injuries, it said.
The air force said the jet suffered “dual engine failure” but a special task force would investigate “to clarify the cause and ensure training safety”.
It said all Brave Eagle advanced jet trainers (AJT) have been grounded for safety checks following the crash.
The AT-5 Brave Eagle, made by state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp with a budget of TW$68.6 billion (US$2.1 billion), had its first test flight in 2020.
Taiwan’s air force said the aircraft took off from the air base and then reported the failure of both its engines. The crew parachuted to safety and were rescued, it added.
The single pilot flying the dual-cockpit aircraft was rescued after parachuting out, while the jet, which had only 183 flying hours, crashed into the sea, it said, adding that an investigation team has been set up.
Taiwan’s air force plans on taking 66 units by 2026 to replace its ageing predecessor the AT-3 and United States-made F-5 training aircraft, which have suffered a series of crashes in recent years.
Taiwan’s armed forces are mostly equipped by the US, but the government has made development of an advanced home-grown defence industry a priority, especially as China, which claims the island as its own, steps up military modernisation efforts and drills near Taiwan.
The AT-5 is Taiwan’s first jet made domestically since the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter, or IDF, rolled out more than three decades ago, and the two jets look similar and have similar capabilities.
The AT-5 is used for both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training purposes, and can land and take off using a shorter amount of runway.
It can be equipped with weapons, though that remains in the testing phase, and the plane is designed to have a support function in time of war.
In the 24-hour period ending 6.00am on Saturday, 19 Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels, one official ship and one balloon were detected around the island, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, President Lai Ching-te said he hoped the opposition-controlled parliament would remedy the sections of the defence budget that have been frozen or cut to show “our full support for the military”.
“In the face of China’s threats, the military is bravely protecting our country”.
