Mirage-2000 engine lost thrust before crash: Air Force

Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) Taiwan's Air Force said Wednesday that initial investigations indicate one of its Mirage-2000 fighters lost thrust in its engine before crashing into the sea off Hsinchu on Tuesday night, though a thorough probe will be conducted to determine what caused the incident.

Air Force Chief Inspector Maj. Gen. Yu Te-chung (虞德忠) said that aviation safety experts will carry out a comprehensive investigation to determine whether the loss of thrust was due to mechanical failure, human error, or environmental factors.

Search and rescue teams are currently working to locate the aircraft.

"We are still in the stage of collecting all related evidence before compiling an investigative report on the incident and briefing the public," Yu said.

Yu made the remarks during a press briefing on the initial findings relating to the crash which occurred at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday during a training operation over waters off Hsinchu County last night.

Captain Hsieh Pei-hsun (謝沛勳) was rescued by Coast Guard Administration (CGA) personnel at 10:39 p.m. Tuesday before being taken to a Taichung hospital for treatments early Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, Hsieh's doctor said the pilot is in relatively good condition and expected to make a full recovery.

Also Wednesday, the Air Force announced it has grounded all Mirage-2000s pending the results of the investigation into Tuesday night's crash.

Asked if the decision could impact Taiwan's air defense, Air Force Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant General Wang Te-yang (王德揚) said that all Air Force personnel around the country are sharing the load of air defense and training.

Grounding the French-made jets is not expected to affect the nation's overall defense capabilities, he added.