F-16 missing, suspected crashed off east coast of Taiwan

An ROCAF F-16 fighter plane is suspected to have crashed at sea, after disappearing from radar screens northeast of Hualien Airport at 6:07 pm this evening, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

The aircraft took off from Hualien Airbase for a night time training mission at 6:05 pm, the MND report said. The aircraft disappeared from radar screens around 13 kilometers northeast of Hualien Harbor around two minutes after take off.

Air and surface search crews have been dispatched to the area.

According to media reports, the missing aircraft, numbered 6672, is a F-16A piloted by Colonel Chiang Cheng-chih (蔣正志), 44 years old, of the 26th Tactical Fighter Group.

map showing location where fighter went missing
Location where plane disappeared from radar.
Actual aircraft missing: Number 6672. Picture: Military News Agency, Taiwan.
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