Pilot parachutes to safety: fighter jet crashes into the sea after engine failure

A pilot was rescued after ejecting from an air force Brave Eagle advanced trainer jet shortly after take off from Chih-hang Air Base in Taitung City this morning, February 15.

According to Air Force Command, a single pilot was aboard when the left engine failed shortly after take-off at around 8:40 am. The pilot ejected and parachuted into the sea.

Another aircraft flying in formation with the crashed aircraft guided rescuers to the location of the downed pilot. A Ministry of National Defence Black Hawk search and rescue helicopter was dispatched to rescue the pilot. The pilot was rescued at 9:13 am and taken to Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital after landing at Chih-hang Air Base. According to reports, the pilot was conscious.

It is the first major flight safety incident involving the domestically-produced AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle. The aircraft involved was number 1130, and was delivered in May 2024.

Air Force Command said that it has launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.

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