Taiwan Air Force Jet F-5E Crashes, Pilot Reported Dead

A Taiwan Air Force F-5E combat jet crashed two minutes after taking off Today with the pilot declared dead  after ejecting and parachuting into the sea, Taiwan-based media China Times reported.

The F-5E combat jet took off Thursday morning from an air force base in eastern Taiwan, and went down two minutes after taking off due to engine failure. The pilot, surnamed Chu, ejected from the plane after reporting the emergency.

Although Chu managed to parachute and land in the sea, he was met with strong winds and poor weather and became entangled in the parachute strings, causing him to drown. A rescue team quickly found Chu, and sent him to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

However, at 9:27 am, it was announced that Chu had died. China Times reported that Chu was unconscious when the rescue team spotted him, but had resumed consciousness after immediately receiving CPR treatment.

The cause of the crash is not yet known but some media in China speculated that it could be an engine failure. AIDC, the manufacturer of the jet, has dispatched a special working team to investigate the case.