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Defense Ministry apologizes for flight incidents

ROC Central News Agency

2010/12/16 16:00:58

By Kelven Huang and Sofia Wu

Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) Deputy Defense Minister Chao Shih-chang apologized Thursday for a string of flight mishaps involving military planes in recent years.

"We should apologize for the occurrence of flight safety problems, " Chao said at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and Defense Affairs Committee.

His apology came a day after an Air Force Academy T-34C trainer plane crashed in southern Taiwan during a routine training mission, killing a flight instructor and a cadet.

It was the second crash this year involving a T-34C trainer plane. In January, a trainer of the same type went down during a training flight in southern Taiwan, also killing the two people on board.

Speaking at the session, opposition Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Huang-liang said that since the U.S.-built T-34Cs were introduced in Taiwan in 1985, eight of the rudimentary trainer planes have crashed, leaving 14 dead and three injured.

In just the past three years, Tsai went on, flight mishaps in the military have left 10 servicemen dead, three missing and two injured.

"Should the Defense Ministry not apologize for all these tragedies?" Tsai asked Chao.

In response, Chao said the ministry feels deep regret and sincerely apologizes for the incidents.

He further said the military attaches great importance to flight safety and has conducted in-depth probes and reviews of each of the crashes.

"In the wake of the latest incident, we will redouble our efforts in flight safety control, including reinforcing risk management and intensifying monitoring and supervision," Chao said.

On the causes of the eight T-34C-related accidents, the first four were caused by human error, while the fifth was caused by engine problems and the sixth was the result of a bird strike.

"The cause of the seventh, which occurred early this year, is still being investigated and we have not yet found the reason, " Chao said.

Ruling Kuomintang Legislator Lin Yu-fang said that with a T-34C attrition rate of 19 percent, the military should approach the U.S. maker for assistance in determining the cause of the crashes.

As Taiwan's T-34C fleet is only midway through its operating lifespan, Lin said, its relatively high attrition rate deserves careful study.

Chao said the military has formed a special task force to investigate the cause of Wednesday's crash and will conduct an overall review of flight safety measures.

Meanwhile, in response to Lin's concern about the safety of the AT-3 advanced jet trainer planes that have been in commission for 28 years, Chao said the aircraft for higher-level flight skill training has been structurally reinforced and can be safely used until 2017.

He also said the Air Force has begun collecting market information in preparation for the procurement of a new generation of trainer planes.

Chao said the military will offer the best possible compensation for the two pilots killed in Wednesday's crash -- 49-year-old flight instructor Niu Peng-yu and Air Force Academy cadet Liu Che-hung, 25.