Overview
- The F-16V Block 20, tail number 6700, lost contact at 7:29 pm about 10 nautical miles east of Fengbin after departing Hualien Air Base at 6:17 pm for night training.
- Taiwan’s air force, coast guard and rescue teams expanded operations with 13 aircraft and 11 ships, deploying drift-tracking buoys and enlisting nearby fishing and cargo vessels in rough, cold seas.
- ROCAF said the flight computer sounded an “EJECT, EJECT, EJECT” warning, yet no ejection seat locator signal has been detected, leaving a successful bailout unconfirmed.
- The pilot, Captain Hsin Po-yi, is missing; officials report he has 611 flight hours, and the airframe has 3,894 hours, with an in-flight anomaly occurring at roughly 1,700 feet.
- President Lai ordered an all-out rescue and an emergency response center was activated, as investigators review data and maintenance records and the F-16 fleet undergoes inspections following a precautionary grounding.