Air Force cites computer malfunction as search continues for missing F-16V, pilot

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) Taiwan's Air Force on Wednesday linked an incident involving an F-16V fighter jet that went missing a day earlier to a malfunction of the aircraft's main onboard computer.

The incident remains under investigation as authorities continue searching for the missing aircraft and its pilot, Air Force Captain Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅).

"There are several levels of modular mission computer (MMC) malfunctions. In this case, the aircraft's flight path was no longer displayed, so he was unable to obtain information on his attitude," Col. Chou Ming-ching (周明慶) told a news conference in Hualien County.

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Chou, commander of the 27th Squadron under the Air Force's 5th Tactical Mixed Wing, was responding to questions about an anonymous online post by a self-described F-16 flight instructor, which linked the incident to a malfunction of the aircraft's MMC.

The post alleged that the MMCs on Taiwan's F-16 jets have been "prone to malfunctions" and "less stable" since the Peace Phoenix Rising program, which upgraded the Air Force's 141 F-16 Block 20 aircraft to F-16V specifications.

"The pilot did report an MMC malfunction during the mission," Lt. Col. Ting Wei-hsuan (丁尉軒), who oversees maintenance at the 5th Tactical Mixed Wing, said at the same event.

Ting added that maintenance records for the aircraft, tail number 6700, show the MMC had not required repairs in the past six months, and that previous maintenance issues involved only "common malfunctions."

Responding to the allegations, Ting said the Air Force has documented MMC malfunctions since the upgrade program and submitted the data to the United States for analysis.

"We will urge the U.S. side to expedite software updates to improve system reliability," he said.

Asked whether spatial disorientation could have played a role, Air Force Inspector General Chiang Yi-cheng (江義誠) said the possibility could not be ruled out.

As a precaution, the Air Force has suspended F-16V training flights while inspections of the aircraft type are carried out, Chiang said.

F-16V pilots will also undergo additional skills and simulator training, with a focus on standard responses to spatial disorientation, abnormal aircraft behavior, and nighttime flight operations, he added.