AND Taiwan Air Force Officer died after being sucked into the engine of a fighter jet, officials said.
The incident reportedly occurred at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base on Tuesday while a master sergeant was conducting an inspection of the aircraft before it was grounded.
Taiwan Air Force he said that the officer was “inhaled by the engine for unknown reasons.” She was later pronounced dead after efforts to save her life were unsuccessful.
“In response to media reports that ‘the instructor’s application of gas is suspected to have caused the inhalation of an officer in a combat aircraft,’ the Air Force Command stated that the case is currently being investigated by a task force working with prosecutors to determine the cause,” it added.
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A Taiwanese air force ground crew deploys a Sky Sword II missile on an Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft as part of a combat readiness exercise at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on January 8. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
Officials say they are “deeply saddened” by the death.
Taiwan’s air force also said it would “fully assist the family in dealing with the consequences” and would “conduct a comprehensive review and improve the work process to prevent similar cases from happening again.”
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A Taiwan Air Force pilot climbs into the cockpit of his Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft during a combat readiness exercise flight at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on January 7, 2025. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
The aircraft involved in the incident was an indigenous defense fighter, the Taipei Times reported, adding that the victim served in the army about 17 years.
A source familiar with the aircraft told the Taipei Times that the possibility of a ground crew member being sucked into its engine – which has a fairly small intake port – was “minimal”.
The source said that after the aircraft landed, its engine speed was turning slowly and should have stopped by the time the wheel chocks were installed at the base.
A Taiwan Air Force Indigenous Defense Fighter takes off during a combat readiness exercise at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on January 7. (I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
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Security cameras installed in the base’s hangar should provide a complete picture of what happened, the source added.
