Air Force ties IDF flare incident to possible mechanical issue

Taipei, June 16 (CNA) Human and environmental factors have been ruled out as potential causes of the accidental firing of a flare from a jet fighter during routine training in April, the Air Force Command said Monday, and it is now looking into mechanical factors.

An Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jet fired off flares during routine training over Tainan Air Base on April 30, and an investigation was subsequently launched to determine the cause of the incident, according to a brief statement issued by the Air Force Command.

The investigation examined human, environmental and mechanical factors that may have been involved in the incident, and both human and environmental factors have been ruled out, the Air Force Command said, without elaborating.

In response to a possible mechanical issue, the Command said, a comprehensive inspection is being conducted across the entire IDF fleet to ensure similar events do not reoccur, but it did not provide any specifics on what the issue might be.

The flares on fighter jests are typically used to protect jets against incoming guided missiles, according to the Air Force.