Two US F-18 fighters departed Taiwan Friday afternoon.
The two F-18 fighters made an emergency landing at a Taiwanese air force base two days earlier due to a mechanical problem on one of the aircraft. The landing of the F18s was a rarity because the US does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and its military aircraft do not use air bases in Taiwan.
US maintenance personnel arrived in Taiwan late Thursday and completed repair work Friday morning. The two fighters left for their base in Okinawa after the repairs were completed.
Major Paul Greenberg, a public affairs officer for the US Marine Corps, said on Thursday that when an aircraft encounters a mechanical problem, the safety of the crew and the aircraft is the top concern for choosing a landing location. According to Greenberg, one of the fighters had a persistent engine oil pressure warning light, and the other fighter landed in order to maintain section integrity. The reason for selecting Taiwan as a landing site was based on proximity and weather conducive to landing. Greenberg said the F-18s were en route to Singapore from Japan.
The US State Department expressed gratitude for Taiwan's assistance.