Apache helicopters grounded after crash
ROC Central News Agency
2014/04/25 15:38:49
Taipei, April 25 (CNA) The Army grounded its fleet of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters Friday, Lt. Gen. Wang Hsing-wei, deputy Army commander, said after one of the aircraft crashed into a residential building during training earlier in the day, injuring its co-pilot.
This is the second time that the helicopters have been grounded since Taiwan began to take delivery of the advanced aircraft from the United States in November 2013.
The transmission boxes of the first 12 helicopters delivered to Taiwan were removed and sent back to the U.S. due to a mechanical problem first reported in December.
The aircraft were then fitted with replacement transmission boxes before taking to the air again.
Between November 2013 and March this year, Taiwan took delivery of 18 of the newest Apache models.
They arrived in three shipments that form part of an order of 30 bought for NT$59.31 billion (US$2.01 billion) under a deal announced in 2008 by then-U.S. President George W. Bush.
(By Claudia Liu and Jay Chen; click here for the updated story)
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