Two F-5E fighter jets collided in mid-air during a training mission off eastern Pingtung County on Monday afternoon. The two pilots ejected and a search crew was sent to find them.
The mission included a total of four F-5Es that took off from eastern Taitung Airbase at 2:30 p.m. for a routine training mission. At around 3:06pm, the two jets hit each other and disappeared from radar screens.
Military helicopters and six coast guard vessels have been dispatched to search for the two pilots. The search zone is 1.4 miles offshore from the Xuhai Fishing Harbor in Pingtung County's Mudan Township.
The pilots are 28-year old Pan Yin-tsun and 26-year old Luo Shang-hua.
The last crash of an F-5E fighter occurred during a training mission off the coast of Taitung County on October 29, 2020. The plane crashed less than two minutes after taking off. The pilot ejected but died from his injuries.
The nation’s F-5 fighters will all be decommissioned by 2026.