Air Force Pilot Killed in Trainer Jet Crash AT-3失事 空軍官校學員飛行訓練暫停

An Air Force AT-3 jet trainer crashed in Kaohsiung. The pilot Hsu Ta-chun has been found dead on his second solo flight. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

An Air Force AT-3 trainer jet crashed in Kaohsiung on May 31. It was piloted by Lieutenant Hsu Ta-chun, a 2021 graduate of the Air Force Academy. The trainer had the registration number AR32 and the tail number 0852. It took off at 8:03 a.m., and contact was lost at 8:06 a.m. when it was about five nautical miles northeast of the airport.

Huang Chih-wei, Air Force Chief of Staff："It was last inspected and maintained on Feb. 17, 2022. It had flown 77 hours and 55 minutes. There weren't any major issues for nearly a year. The Air Force has already issued a command for the Air Force Academy to suspend all flying training missions."

The AT-3 trainer jet had been in service for 38 years, so there were concerns about its condition. The Air Force said details remain to be clarified, including whether the pilot ejected.

Huang Chih-wei, Air Force Chief of Staff："We need to clarify details, such as whether the pilot ejected or whether he crashed with the plane, by analyzing the wreckage. We did not receive any communications about malfunction or that the pilot was going to eject."

The Air Force immediately launched a search and rescue mission, but the pilot was already dead when he was found. President Tsai Ing-wen expressed her condolences, and ordered the Ministry of National Defense to determine the cause of the accident and assist Hsu's family with follow-up arrangements.

一架AT-3教練機，31號在高雄墜機，空軍調查，駕駛是空軍官校110年班的徐大鈞少尉，飛行編號AR32，機號0852，上午8點3分起飛，8點6分， 在機場東北約5浬處，失去聯絡。

空軍參謀長 黃志偉表示：「週檢出站的時間，是111年2月17號，迄今已經飛行77小時55分鐘，近一年都沒有重大的修復事件。那目前空軍已經下令，空軍官校暫停全部的飛行訓練任務。」

由於AT-3教練機服役至今，已經38年，外界質疑，失事的教練機的狀況，空軍也做出說明；也強調，案發時時，人員是否跳傘等的細節，還需調查。

空軍參謀長 黃志偉表示：「詳細的人員是不是跳傘，在附近，或者是隨機墜地，這部分，我們還要再做殘骸的分析，才能確認。不過，我們在空中，並沒有接到任何飛機故障，以及人員彈射、跳彈，這個無線電呼叫。」

對於再次發生AT-3教練機事故，搜救團隊已經展開救援任務，不過，駕駛的飛官尋獲時不幸殉職，對此，總統蔡英文表達哀慟，指示國防部，徹底釐清事故原因，並且協助家屬處理後續事宜。