Taiwan suspends F-16 training after fighter jet crashes off eastern coast

• Air Force says missing aircraft suffered 'malfunction of main onboard computer'

TAIPEI, Taiwan

Search and rescue operations continued on Wednesday for a missing Taiwanese pilot after an F-16 fighter jet crashed into the sea off the island’s eastern coast, prompting the Air Force to suspend all F-16 training missions.

The single-seat F-16, assigned to the Taiwan Air Force’s Fifth Tactical Fighter Wing, took off from Hualien Air Base at 6.17 pm Tuesday (1017 GMT) and lost radar contact at 7.29 pm (1129 GMT), about 31 nautical miles (57 kilometers) south of the base at an altitude of roughly 1,700 feet, according to Defense Ministry officials.

The pilot, identified as Capt. Hsin, reported a rapid loss of altitude and radioed “eject, eject, eject” moments before the aircraft disappeared from radar.

Major Gen. Chiang Jiang Yi told reporters Wednesday that no emergency beacon or distress signal has been detected so far, leaving it unclear whether the pilot successfully ejected.

“As a precaution, all F-16 aircraft have temporarily suspended training missions,” Chiang said, adding that comprehensive maintenance inspections are also underway.

Air Force Col. Chou Ming-ching said the F-16V fighter jet went missing due to a malfunction of the aircraft’s main onboard computer, according to the Focus Taiwan news website.

“There are several levels of modular mission computer malfunctions. In this case, the aircraft’s flight path was no longer displayed, so he was unable to obtain information on his attitude,” Chou told reporters in Hualien County.

Search-and-rescue operations involve aircraft, naval vessels and helicopters, but efforts have been hampered by rough seas, strong winds and waves reaching up to three meters.

The Defense Ministry said the search will continue beyond the customary 72-hour window as investigations into the crash proceed.