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Defense minister to chair flight safety review meeting

ROC Central News Agency

Taipei, Nov.9 (CNA) Defense Minister Chen Chao-min will chair a flight safety review meeting Monday in an effort to streamline security management and supervision in the wake of a spate flight mishaps involving military planes in recent months.

Maj. Gen. Lisa Chi, spokeswoman for the Ministry of National Defense, said Sunday that commanding officers of airborne units as well as those in charge of training and supervisory affairs in all military branches are expected to attend the review meeting.

The meeting will review all flight safety incidents reported in the military so far this year, including the crashes of an AH-1W attack helicopter, an IDF jet fighter and an S-70C anti-submarine helicopter that have left five pilots dead and two others missing, Chi said.

Noting that the agenda will include risk management, flight training, safety management, logistics and maintenance as well as personnel morale and discipline, Chi said all relevant problems will be raised and discussed at the brainstorming session.

It is hoped that flaws and deficiencies in the current flight safety control mechanism will be resolved, Chi said, adding that a new way of thinking will be introduced in hopes of establishing an efficient and impeccable flight safety culture.

Following the crash of an S-70C anti-submarine helicopter last month, all types of military planes, except those on regular aerial patrol or rescue missions, were grounded for three days for intensive safety checks.

By now, military sources said all but the locally developed indigenous defense fighters (IDFs) have resumed normal flight training missions. Nevertheless, the sources added that the number of training hours have been cut because of stricter security management.

Meanwhile, Chi said military authorities are still investigating the causes of the crashes of the IDF and the anti-submarine helicopter that plunged into waters off the offshore island county of Penghu and the eastern county of Hualien, respectively, in October. (By Sofia Wu) enditem