An Air Force AT-3 jet trainer crashed in Kaohsiung Tuesday morning. The pilot Hsu Ta-chun took off at 8:03 am and disappeared five minutes later. It was his second time flying solo.
At 8:09 am, civilians reported the crash of a small plane in Kaohsiung’s Gangshang District to the Kaohsiung fire department. When firefighters went to the scene, they discovered that Hsu had already died.
President Tsai Ing-wen has expressed her deepest regrets for the brave pilot who lost his life. She has asked the defense ministry to investigate the reason for the accident and to help his family with memorial services.
This is the fourth accident in the past decade involving an AT-3 jet trainer.
The AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung is an advanced jet trainer operated by Taiwan’s Air Force. The aircraft is used both as an advanced trainer and for weapons training. They are also flown as part of the Thunder Tigers Aerobatics Team at air shows.
Taiwan’s fleet of over 60 AT-3s was developed and manufactured by Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) in collaboration with American aircraft manufacturer Northrop.