2007 Hukou F-5F crash
Encyclopedia
A Republic of China Air Force
F-5F fighter jet crashed into a military base in Hukou
(湖口), Taiwan
on 11 May 2007. The accident killed the two Taiwanese crewmen and three Singaporean soldiers
who were part of an unrelated unilateral training stint on the ground. Another eight Singaporeans were injured, with one sustaining serious burn injuries.
; it crashed 30 minutes later during a simulated low-altitude attack while executing an "anti-parachuting" drill.
. The base houses the 542nd Armour Brigade of the 6th Army Corps, Republic of China Army
, it also hosts a visiting training detachment from the Singapore Armed Forces
(SAF). Eyewitnesses say the F-5F aircraft failed to pull up in time, and crashed into the base.
The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense reported that the pilot apparently attempted to steer the plane away from residential area before crashing into a storeroom within the military compound where the Singapore detachment was stationed. Several soldiers were in the storeroom at that time.
Due to the lack of space in Singapore, the island state has been conducting unilateral military training in Taiwan as part of a cooperative agreement. Singapore is not involved in the Han Kuang exercise.
, based in Taitung Airbase.
The initial two Singaporean fatalities are 3rd Sergeant Isz Sazli Bin Sapari, age 19, and Private Fan Yao Jin, age 23. Both were full-time national servicemen
(NSFs). The third fatality is Lance Corporal Chow Han Min Calvin, age 19. LCP Chow had 50 per cent body surface burns and respiratory burns, and was airlifted back to Singapore for further treatment. However, LCP Chow's condition worsened and he died in the Singapore General Hospital
on 28 May 2007 at 6.37am.
One Singapore soldier remains critically injured. 23-year-old 3rd Sergeant Ramakrishnan Karthigayan from the 6th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (6 SIR) suffered 45 percent total body surface area
burns. He, along with LCP Chow, was treated at the Taoyuan
Tri-service General Hospital
before being evacuated to Singapore on 12 May to receive treatment at the Singapore General Hospital
Burns Centre. As of May 2007, Ramakrishnan remains in a critical but stable condition. Seven other Singaporeans had minor injuries and received outpatient treatment.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Taiwan local media pointed out that the age of the F-5F fleet as a possible factor. The Ministry of Defense announced that it has grounded all F-5F fighters, pending the outcome of an investigation into the accident.
The F5E and F5F fighter jets were developed by Northrop
in the United States in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Taiwan produced about 300 of the jets; about 90 are still in service in Taiwan.
The Singapore Ministry of Defence
announced that it is also conducting an investigation of the incident.
According to United Daily News
, pilot Wei was last heard shouting "Up!" before the accident occurred. Due to security reasons, radio communication was minimized during the exercise. The aircraft did not have a flight data recorder
(black box), but was equipped with Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation
(ACMI) that could be useful in the investigation.
. He said that during the simulated attack, the fighter jet had deviated from its planned route. In his effort to lock in to ground targets, the pilot might have flown too low. The pilot chose not to eject in order to steer the plane away from built up areas and avoid heavy casualties. Liu said that they "chose to sacrifice their lives and divert the plane to the military compound." He did not rule out mechanical problems causing the aircraft to be stalled
because the pilot could have pulled out safely if he had activated maximum power and afterburner
.
There are reports that visibility was low at Hukou during the exercise.
, the premier of the Republic of China
, ordered the air force to speed up an overhaul of warplanes. He made the order just before announcing his resignation following his defeat in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party
's primary to pick a candidate for the Republic of China presidential election, 2008.
Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that the five-day Han Kuang exercise would be carried out as scheduled despite the crash. This prompted legislator Hsueh Ling to call for defense minister Lee Jye
to step down.
Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...
F-5F fighter jet crashed into a military base in Hukou
Hukou, Hsinchu
Hukou Township is the third largest township of Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan. With an area of 58.43 km², Hukou has a population of 73,573.The Hukou army base houses the 542nd Armour Brigade of the 6th Army Corps, Republic of China Army....
(湖口), Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
on 11 May 2007. The accident killed the two Taiwanese crewmen and three Singaporean soldiers
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...
who were part of an unrelated unilateral training stint on the ground. Another eight Singaporeans were injured, with one sustaining serious burn injuries.
Han Kuang exercise
The fighter jet, designation ROCAF F-5F 5371, was conducting a training flight in a rehearsal for Taiwan's Han Kuang 23 military exercise (漢光演習) in the following week. The twin-seat fighter jet took off with three other aircraft from an airbase in Taitung CountyTaitung County
Taitung County is a county in eastern Taiwan. The name means "Eastern Taiwan". Taitung County is also known as 後山 by many of the locals, meaning behind the mountains or the back mountains. Taitung is officially administered as a county of Taiwan, Republic of China.Taitung runs along the south east...
; it crashed 30 minutes later during a simulated low-altitude attack while executing an "anti-parachuting" drill.
Crash at military base
At 9.38am, the fighter jet crashed at Hukou Army Base about 50 km southwest of the capital TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. The base houses the 542nd Armour Brigade of the 6th Army Corps, Republic of China Army
Republic of China Army
The ROC Army's current operational strength includes 3 armies, 5 corps. As of 2005, the Army's 35 brigades include 25 infantry brigades, 5 armoured brigades and 3 mechanized infantry brigades...
, it also hosts a visiting training detachment from the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
(SAF). Eyewitnesses say the F-5F aircraft failed to pull up in time, and crashed into the base.
The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense reported that the pilot apparently attempted to steer the plane away from residential area before crashing into a storeroom within the military compound where the Singapore detachment was stationed. Several soldiers were in the storeroom at that time.
Due to the lack of space in Singapore, the island state has been conducting unilateral military training in Taiwan as part of a cooperative agreement. Singapore is not involved in the Han Kuang exercise.
Casualties
The accident killed five people. The two crewmen and another two soldiers on the ground were killed during the initial crash. Another soldier subsequently succumbed to his wounds 17 days later. The Taiwanese crewmen are pilot Major Wei Tzu-yuan (魏子淵), age 34, and co-pilot Captain Chan Chia-chun (詹嘉鈞), age 27. They had 1500 and 700 hours of flight experience respectively. They belong to the 45 Fighter Squadron, 737 Tactical Fighter Wing, Republic of China Air ForceRepublic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...
, based in Taitung Airbase.
The initial two Singaporean fatalities are 3rd Sergeant Isz Sazli Bin Sapari, age 19, and Private Fan Yao Jin, age 23. Both were full-time national servicemen
National Service in Singapore
Conscription in Singapore, called National Service , requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military...
(NSFs). The third fatality is Lance Corporal Chow Han Min Calvin, age 19. LCP Chow had 50 per cent body surface burns and respiratory burns, and was airlifted back to Singapore for further treatment. However, LCP Chow's condition worsened and he died in the Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
on 28 May 2007 at 6.37am.
One Singapore soldier remains critically injured. 23-year-old 3rd Sergeant Ramakrishnan Karthigayan from the 6th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (6 SIR) suffered 45 percent total body surface area
Total body surface area
Total body surface area is an assessment measure of burns of the skin. In adults, the "rule of nines" is used to determine the total percentage of area burned for each major section of the body...
burns. He, along with LCP Chow, was treated at the Taoyuan
Taoyuan County (Taiwan)
Taoyuan County is a county of the Republic of China , located in the northwestern part of the island, contiguous with New Taipei City, Hsinchu County, and Yilan County. Taoyuan City is located in this county and serves as the seat of Taoyuan County...
Tri-service General Hospital
Tri-Service General Hospital
Tri-Service General HospitalPresidentDah-Shyong You, Major General TypeMedical centerEstablished1946LocationTaipei, Republic of China...
before being evacuated to Singapore on 12 May to receive treatment at the Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
Burns Centre. As of May 2007, Ramakrishnan remains in a critical but stable condition. Seven other Singaporeans had minor injuries and received outpatient treatment.
Investigation
The F5E and F5F fighter jets were developed by Northrop
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
in the United States in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Taiwan produced about 300 of the jets; about 90 are still in service in Taiwan.
The Singapore Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
The Ministry of Defence is a ministry of the Government of Singapore entrusted with overseeing the national defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It is the headquarters of the Singapore Armed Forces...
announced that it is also conducting an investigation of the incident.
According to United Daily News
United Daily News
The United Daily News is a newspaper published in the Republic of China in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese. It is one of the three biggest newspapers in Taiwan, the other two being the China Times and the Liberty Times.-History:...
, pilot Wei was last heard shouting "Up!" before the accident occurred. Due to security reasons, radio communication was minimized during the exercise. The aircraft did not have a flight data recorder
Flight data recorder
A flight data recorder is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters...
(black box), but was equipped with Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation
Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation
Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation systems record an aircraft's in-flight data.They are often used by the military for aerial combat training and analysis.ACMI systems usually include 4 major subsystems.- Subsystems :Control and Computation...
(ACMI) that could be useful in the investigation.
Preliminary findings
On 14 May 2007, air force major-general Liu Chen-wu released preliminary findings of the investigation at the Legislative YuanLegislative Yuan
The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China .The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People...
. He said that during the simulated attack, the fighter jet had deviated from its planned route. In his effort to lock in to ground targets, the pilot might have flown too low. The pilot chose not to eject in order to steer the plane away from built up areas and avoid heavy casualties. Liu said that they "chose to sacrifice their lives and divert the plane to the military compound." He did not rule out mechanical problems causing the aircraft to be stalled
Stall (flight)
In fluid dynamics, a stall is a reduction in the lift coefficient generated by a foil as angle of attack increases. This occurs when the critical angle of attack of the foil is exceeded...
because the pilot could have pulled out safely if he had activated maximum power and afterburner
AfterBurner
The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
.
There are reports that visibility was low at Hukou during the exercise.
Aftermath
A day after the incident, Su Tseng-changSu Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process...
, the premier of the Republic of China
Premier of the Republic of China
The President of the Executive Yuan , commonly known as the Premier of the Republic of China , is the head of the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the Republic of China , which currently administers Taiwan, Matsu, and Kinmen. The premier is appointed by the President of the Republic of China...
, ordered the air force to speed up an overhaul of warplanes. He made the order just before announcing his resignation following his defeat in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
's primary to pick a candidate for the Republic of China presidential election, 2008.
Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that the five-day Han Kuang exercise would be carried out as scheduled despite the crash. This prompted legislator Hsueh Ling to call for defense minister Lee Jye
Lee Jye
Lee Jye is a former defense minister of the Republic of China .-Biography:He was born in Tianjin on June 6, 1940, and fled to Taiwan with family at the end of the Chinese Civil War....
to step down.
Related incidents
Legislator Hsueh noted that seventeen F-5E/F jet fighters have been lost in accidents since 1988.External links
- Pre-accident pictures of the airplane
- News report with pictures - Apple Daily (Taiwan)Apple Daily (Taiwan)The Apple Daily is a tabloid-style newspaper printed in Taiwan and owned by Hong Kong-based Next Media. Next Media is based in Hong Kong and also prints the Apple Daily . The publication is well known internationally for its animated news stories on pop culture outside Taiwan.-History:Apple Daily ...