A Taiwan Air Force AT-5 Brave Eagle jet trainer crashed into the sea after engine failure. The pilot ejected safely. An investigation is now underway.
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| A Taiwan Air Force AT-5 Brave Eagle jet crashed after engine failure during a training flight. The pilot parachuted to safety. Authorities are investigating. Image/ Illustration: ChicHue |
Taitung, Taiwan – February 15, 2025:
A Taiwan Air Force AT-5 Brave Eagle jet trainer crashed into the sea off the country’s east coast on Saturday after reporting engine failure during a weapons training mission. The pilot safely ejected and was rescued, the military confirmed, reads a Bangkok Post report.
The AT-5, Taiwan’s domestically developed advanced jet trainer, is designed to replace aging AT-3 and F-5 training aircraft. The jet, built by state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) with a budget of NT$68.6 billion (US$2.1 billion), first flew in 2020. The aircraft that crashed had only 183 flying hours.
The Taiwan Air Force reported that the jet took off from Chihhang Air Base in Taitung before experiencing a dual-engine failure mid-flight. The single pilot, flying the dual-cockpit aircraft, successfully parachuted to safety before the jet plunged into the sea. A military investigation team has been deployed to determine the cause of the failure.
Taiwan has been pushing for domestic defense development to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, particularly as China escalates military pressure on the self-ruled island. The AT-5 is Taiwan’s first indigenous jet since the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter, developed more than three decades ago.
Capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training, the AT-5 can take off and land on short runways and is being evaluated for potential combat roles. The Taiwan Air Force aims to acquire 66 AT-5 units by 2026 to modernize its training fleet.