Taiwan probes fighter jet crash after latest incident involving French-made Mirage planes
Island’s air force launches task force to investigate why warplane lost power while returning to base after routine training mission
Taiwan’s air force is investigating the cause of a Mirage 2000 fighter jet crash off the island’s northwest coast during a nighttime training mission.
The single-seat, French-built warplane from the air force’s second tactical fighter wing took off at 8.05pm on Tuesday from Hsinchu Air Base in northwest Taiwan for routine training manoeuvres. However, it lost power when returning to the base half an hour later.
The island’s coastguard found the pilot, identified as Hsieh Pei-hsun, in the sea off the Hsinchu coast two hours later.
“The pilot remained conscious and was taken to the hospital for further examination,” the ministry said.
Local television footage shows the pilot, a captain with 710 flight hours, being sent to a hospital in the central city of Taichung. Doctors stated on Wednesday that, after a night’s rest, Hsieh’s physical condition was relatively stable.
