Taiwan's F-16 Crash: Search for Missing Pilot Continues

REPORTER:  

Rescuers are continuing their search for a missing pilot in Taiwan, despite the passing of the critical 72-hour golden window for rescue.

With Taiwan’s F16s returning to the air, the military is looking for answers that can help them avoid future crashes.

REPORTER:  

Taiwan’s F-16 jets are back in the air over the eastern city of Hualien a week after being grounded after one crashed off Taiwan’s east coast.

Taiwan’s navy and coast guard are still searching for the missing pilot, with the defense ministry saying dozens of vessels and over 1200 personnel have been mobilized.

The location of the missing F16V’s black box is transmitting some intermittent signals.

So once our vessels head out when sea conditions are favorable we will then try to confirm the exact location of the black box. Once that location is confirmed we will then attempt to take further action.

Taiwan’s military began inspecting its fleet of F16’s immediately after the Jan. 6 crash -- suspending all but surveillance and critical defense flights.

Taiwan’s air force say they’ve checked the fighters’ equipment and held new specialized training for pilots and ground crews, to ensure all systems are functioning properly.

What they’re looking at may be a hint to what they think went wrong last week. They think something caused the pilot to become lost or confused, a condition known as 'spatial disorientation.'

The embedded GPS system was inspected for the possibility of causing "spatial disorientation" so the Air Force Command will look into these key items during this round of inspections.

At the same time, special attention will be given to some equipment such as the Mission Mgmt. Computer with stepped up inspections of the GPS components.

As for personnel, they will receive training in accordance with relevant regulations as well as simulator training. Once test flights show no issues missions will then resume.

There have been as many as 11 crashes in the F-16s nearly 3 decades of service in Taiwan.

Experts say the American-made fighter is more complex and physically demanding than conventional aircraft, making better training critical.

This includes physical training for pilots, simulator training, training for so-called "spatial disorientation," and how to deal with any misperceptions caused by that. All of these areas need to be strengthened.

With the search for the missing pilot now entering its seventh day—well past the critical 72-hour ‘golden window’ for rescue—the chances of a happy ending to last week’s crash are looking increasingly slim.

As Taiwan’s F-16s return to the sky, the focus may now shift to what the military can learn from this incident.

Fuhua Hung and Alan Lu for TaiwanPlus.