التاريخ: 16 شوال 1432 هـ الموافق 14 سبتمبر 2011
المكان: تايوان
طائرتين حربيتين من طراز F5
الضحايا: 3 أشخاص
تبحث السلطات التايوانية اليوم عن ثلاثة طيارين يخشى أن يكونوا قد لقوا حتفهم بعد اصطدام طائرتين حربيتين بجبل ليلة الثلاثاء. وذكرت وسائل إعلام محلية أن طائرة مقاتلة طراز "إف - 5 إف" وطائرة استطلاع "آر إف -5" تحطمتا إثر الاصطدام بجبل قرب الساحل الشمالي الشرقي لتايوان.
وقالت وزارة الدفاع في بيان إن الطائرتين أقلعتا معا من مطار في الساحل الشرقي في مهمة تدريب ليلية وأن البحث عن الطيارين لا زال جارياً
Taipei (AsiaNews) – Taiwan's army aircraft are now no more than "flying coffins", and the United States must sell new fighters to the Island: “This is no longer a question of simply defence. The lives of our military are at risk”. This is the unanimous reaction of society and politics in former Formosa following the deadly fighter crash on 13 September in which all three pilots lost their lives.
On Tuesday two Taiwan 'Air force ' F5 fighters disappeared from radar shortly after take-off from Hualian base in the east of the Island. The two jets were seen by eye witnesses as they crashed in the nearby mountainous area: although the causes of the accident are still to be ascertained, Taiwan officials blame the age of the jets. The bodies of the three pilots were found yesterday.
Luo Shou-he, national army spokesman, confirmed the accident and renewed a call to the US government in Washington to unfreeze the sale of new F16 aircraft: “We are in dire need of replacements ”. Taiwan airforce fleet comprises mainly aircraft built some 35 years ago: China however, which considers the Island no more than a 'rebel province' under its own control, is pushing the US to cancel the arms sale.
Washington, according to the “Taiwan Defence Act”, in theory is obliged to sell Taipei all the arms it needs for defence against mainland China. But economic pressures from Beijing and the coming to power of Ma Yingjeou – a nationalist who has made several openings towards mainland China– had brought the situation to a standstill. However the question is now back in the news, with the US increasingly wary of angering Beijing.