A funeral was held in Taiwan on Sunday for a Taiwanese air force pilot who died in a fighter jet crash in the US state of Arizona.
The pilot – Kao Ting-cheng – was flying an F-16 in a routine training flight when the plane crashed last Thursday. He was unable to eject from the aircraft in time. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the crash.
Family members brought the remains of the deceased pilot back to Taiwan on Sunday morning. They were greeted on the tarmac at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport by Air Force Commander Gen. Shen Yi-ming, members of the Air Force Honor Guard and Kao’s classmates.
President Ma Ying-jeou offered his condolences later in the day at a funeral at Chiayi Air Force Base in central Taiwan. Air Force pilots performed an aerial salute with F-16 fighter jets in honor of the deceased pilot.