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Lawrence Chung

A Taiwanese military aircraft crashed during a training mission on Tuesday, killing two experienced pilots and prompting renewed scrutiny of the island’s ageing fleet of T-34 basic trainers.
The T-34C aircraft went down at 8.08am at Gangshan Air Base in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan while conducting a simulated engine-failure exercise, according to the island’s air force.
Both pilots on board, Lieutenant Colonel Kuo Chun-nan and Lieutenant Colonel Lu Chi-yu, were killed.
The air force said the aircraft, bearing the tail number 3414, crashed near the northern end of the runway at the Air Force Academy and that the cause remained under investigation.

Following the accident, the island’s air force suspended all T-34C flight training operations and ordered fleet-wide inspections.
At a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, officials said the aircraft was conducting a routine proficiency evaluation involving a simulated engine-failure exercise when it crashed.
The flight was intended to assess the front-seat instructor pilot’s handling of emergency procedures, with an examining pilot seated in the rear cockpit.
No distress calls or reports of technical problems were transmitted before the accident, officials said, adding that the aircraft remained within the airfield’s designated training area throughout the flight.
Both pilots were found inside the aircraft when rescue teams arrived at the scene.
Air Force Commander Cheng Jung-feng had rushed to the scene, Defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang said, adding that the defence minister, Wellington Koo Li-hsiung, had ordered a thorough investigation and instructed the military to provide full support to the families of the deceased pilots.
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te expressed condolences to the families and directed the defence ministry to establish a task force to determine the cause of the accident as quickly as possible.
“We must fully assist the families and thoroughly clarify the cause of the crash to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Lai said.
Both Kuo and Li were married, according to local media reports.
The reports said Kuo, 46, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2004 and had more than 2,170 flight hours on the T-34, while Lu, 41, had graduated in 2008 and logged 2,114 hours on the aircraft. Both were considered experienced instructor pilots.
A scenario simulating engine failure is an emergency procedure taught to trainee pilots.
The air force has not disclosed whether the crew tried to recover the aircraft before impact.


Prosecutors in Kaohsiung immediately launched an investigation, working alongside military police and air force flight safety investigators. Authorities have sealed off the crash site while forensic evidence is collected.
The crash has reignited debate over the future of Taiwan’s T-34 fleet.
Introduced in 1985, the US-made T-34C Mentor serves as the first aircraft flown by Taiwan’s air force cadets before they advance to jet trainers and operational combat aircraft.
The air force originally acquired 49 of the T-34Cs. After decades of service and losses from accidents, the operational fleet is estimated to total just over 30 aircraft.
According to publicly available records, the air force has recorded 13 T-34-related flight safety incidents since the aircraft entered service, resulting in 12 pilot fatalities – including those killed on Tuesday.
The aircraft is scheduled to remain in service until 2033, when it is expected to begin phased retirement. Military planners have yet to decide whether its replacement will be developed locally or bought from overseas.
Concerns have grown in recent years over the aircraft’s ageing airframes, obsolete parts and lack of ejection seats.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s legislative caucus on Tuesday called for a comprehensive review of training procedures, maintenance practices and flight safety management systems.
“The most important thing is to ensure pilots can carry out their missions in the safest possible environment,” caucus secretary general Chuang Jui-hsiung said during a press conference.
The main opposition party Kuomintang also urged the government to determine the cause of the crash and review training, maintenance and flight safety procedures.
In a statement, the KMT said the armed forces faced increasingly demanding missions amid rising geopolitical tensions.


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Island’s air force suspends all T-34C flight training operations and orders fleet-wide inspections following accident at Gangshan Air Base


Island’s air force suspends all T-34C flight training operations and orders fleet-wide inspections following accident at Gangshan Air Base.


2 Taiwan air force pilots die in T-34C crash, spurring probe and debate over aircraft

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Island’s air force suspends all T-34C flight training operations and orders fleet-wide inspections following accident at Gangshan Air Base

Island’s air force suspends all T-34C flight training operations and orders fleet-wide inspections following accident at Gangshan Air Base