Search for Missing Pilot in Taiwanese Jet Crash Intensified

(MENAFN) Taiwan's military pressed forward Thursday with exhaustive search operations for a missing air force aviator following an F-16V fighter jet's plunge into the Pacific Ocean off the island's eastern shoreline three days prior.

The aircraft was conducting a standard nighttime training exercise, and over 40 hours have elapsed since the crash, military officials confirmed.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo dismissed allegations that a Modular Mission Computer failure caused the aircraft to go down.

Initial assessments "showed no system malfunction or overload in the three months prior to the incident," Koo told reporters.

He stated that investigators would depend on flight records and operational data rather than conjecture as the investigation proceeds, noting he would update legislators on the findings at a later time.

One day earlier, Taiwanese Air Force Colonel Chou Ming-ching said the F-16V fighter jet went missing due to a malfunction in the aircraft's main onboard computer.

Rescue missions continue despite challenging maritime conditions off Hualien County.

Officials have launched 30 aircraft sorties and two drones, while naval forces and coast guard units have deployed 22 vessels to search for Air Force Captain Hsin, whose location remains undetermined.

Taipei initially signed an agreement with the US in 1992 to acquire a fleet of 150 F-16 fighter jets. The first two aircraft subsequently flew from the US to Taiwan and were stationed at Chiayi Air Base.

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