F-16s grounded as search for missing pilot continues

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 18 November, 2020
By: Natalie Tso

Taiwan has grounded its entire fleet of F-16 fighter jets for thorough checks. That’s after one of Taiwan’s F-16s went missing Tuesday night just two minutes after taking off from Hualien Air Base on the east coast.

A joint air and sea search for the missing pilot and plane is still underway. 

At the Legislature on Wednesday, Vice Defense Minister Chang Che-ping was asked about the possibility that the pilot may have been exhausted, as he was taking part in a night time exercise after attending meetings earlier in the day.

Chang said that pilots need eight hours of rest prior to the start of any mission. He said the military will look into this issue as it investigates the cause of the incident.    [FULL  STORY]