Pilot rescued after fighter plane crashes into ocean

An ROC Air Force fighter jet crashed into the ocean off Taiwan’s east coast this morning, and the pilot was rescued after ejecting from the aircraft, according the Ministry of National Defense.

At 11:25 am, The Dassault Mirage 2000 crashed into the Pacific Ocean around 10 nautical miles off the coast of Taitung County after taking off from the Taitung Chihhang Air Base at 10:08 am.

Executive Yuan Spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said that the Ministry of National Defense had dispatched the Airborne Service Corps and National Coast Guard to rescue the pilot.

A short time later it was reported that the pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft, Lieutenant-Colonel Huang Chung-kai (黃重凱), had been found and rescued. Chung-kai was airlifted by an NASC Black Hawk helicopter at 12:07 pm and flown back to Chihhang Air Base before being transferred to Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

After a medical examination it was reported that Chung-kai is conscious, can speak, and has no obvious trauma.

Premier Su Tseng-chang has ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash.

The Air Force said that the aircraft was on a routine combat training mission when the pilot reported a mechanical failure.

Taiwan English News is an independent publication with no corporate funding. If you found this article informative, and would like to support my work, please buy me a coffee or support me on Patreon. Subscribe to Taiwan English News for free to receive the latest news via email. Advertising queries are welcome. Share, like, comment below.