Overview
- The T-34C two-seat trainer (tail number 3414) crashed during a simulated engine-failure exercise at Gangshan Air Base, going down near the northern end of the runway and catching fire on Tuesday.
- Both pilots on board, Lt. Col. Kuo Chun-nan and Lt. Col. Lu Chi-yu, were killed; each was an experienced T-34 instructor with about 2,100 flight hours and both leave behind families.
- The Air Force has formed a special task force and opened a military investigation, and it has grounded all T-34C Mentors while crews use simulators for training.
- Air Force officials said the aircraft had passed safety checks on April 9 and that the pilots reported no anomalies during the flight, and investigators will review the plane's mechanical condition, training procedures and safety protocols.
- The crash has intensified scrutiny of Taiwan’s ageing T-34C fleet — purchased in 1985 with roughly 30 still in service — and could accelerate decisions on replacements, maintenance funding and how basic flight training is carried out.