F-16 pilot accused of damaging utility pole while landing
ROC Central News Agency
2011/08/24 17:44:12
By Andrew Liu and Jamie Wang
Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) A resident of Sincheng Township in Hualien County, eastern Taiwan, said Wednesday that an F-16 fighter jet hit a utility pole while coming in to land, damaging the top of the pole and several overhead cables.
Kao Shang-ming, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said he heard a very loud engine noise overhead at around 9 a.m. and saw that some cables had fallen to the ground immediately after the jet had passed.
According to Kao, the aircraft was flying lower than they usually do on the final approach to the airbase.
The top of the pole was found later to have been bent 90 degrees toward the runway and the overhead power lines it supported were on the ground.
Chen Hua-jin, an Air Force official, confirmed that a routine flight had taken place that morning but said he did not receive any reports about damage to any aircraft.
However, he added that an initial investigation of the aircraft dispatched that morning found that the landing gear of one of the jets showed visible marks that could have been the result of a collision.
No injuries were reported in the wake of the incident and Chen said the investigation was continuing.
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