Taiwan training plane crashes, pilot dies

The scene of the AT-3 plane crash in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on May 31 Kaohsiung City Fire Department

Reuters quoted the announcement of the defense agency Taiwan said an AT-3 jet crashed while on a training mission from Cuong Son Air Base in the city Cao Hung, southern Taiwan on the morning of May 31. The pilot’s body was found.

The AT-3 is an advanced trainer aircraft developed by Taiwan. This type of aircraft was first used in 1980 and can carry weapons.

Office of the President of Taiwan Thai Anh Van She said she was “deeply saddened” by the loss and had instructed the local defense agency to investigate the accident.

Taiwan’s AT-3 aircraft screenshot taiwannews

This is the third accident of the Taiwanese air force so far this year and the second fatal plane crash of this force in 2022.

In March, a Mirage 2000 fighter jet plunged into the waters off the southeast coast of Taiwan. The pilot was saved in the crash.

The Taiwanese air force in January suspended combat training for its F-16 squadron after a recently upgraded F-16 crashed into the sea, killing the pilot.

Last year, two F-5E fighter jets plunged into the sea after colliding in mid-air during a training mission. These two aircraft entered service in Taiwan in the 1970s.

By the end of 2020, one F-16 disappeared shortly after takeoff from Hualien Air Force Base on the east coast of Taiwan during a routine training mission.

Despite being well-trained, the Taiwanese air force is under a lot of pressure when it has to constantly chase away planes military China penetrated the air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the past two years. However, Reuters said the above accidents were not related to these activities.