A Taiwanese air force officer has died after being trapped in a fighter plane’s engine, officials said.
The incident reportedly occurred at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base on Tuesday when the master sergeant was conducting a pre-shutdown inspection of the aircraft.
Taiwan’s Air Force said the officer was “hit by the engine for unknown reasons.” He was later declared dead after efforts to save his life failed.
“In response to media reports that ‘it is suspected that a female officer was hit by a fighter jet due to throttle application by an instructor,’ the Air Force Command said the matter is currently being investigated by a task force in cooperation with prosecutors. Explain the reason,” it added.
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Taiwanese Air Force ground crews fire a Sky Sword II missile at an indigenous defense fighter aircraft as part of combat readiness exercises at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on January 8. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
Authorities say they are “deeply saddened” by the death.
Taiwan’s Air Force also said it would “fully assist the family in dealing with the consequences” and that it would “conduct a comprehensive review and improve the working process to prevent similar cases from occurring again.”
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A Taiwanese Air Force pilot climbs into the cockpit of his indigenous defense fighter aircraft during a scramble as part of a combat readiness exercise at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung, Jan. 7, 2025. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
The aircraft involved in the incident was an indigenous defense fighter aircraft, the Taipei Times reported, adding that the victim had served in the military for about 17 years.
A source familiar with the plane told the Taipei Times that the chances of a ground crew member being trapped in its engine – which has a fairly small entrance – are “very low.”
The source said that after the aircraft landed, its motor speed was running at a slow speed and it should have been stopped by the time the wheel chocks were being deployed at the base.
A Taiwanese Air Force indigenous defense fighter aircraft takes off as part of a combat readiness exercise at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on January 7. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
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Security cameras in the base’s hangar should provide a complete picture of what happened, the source said.
