TAIPEI (TVBS News) — An Air Force T-BE-5A Brave Eagle (勇鷹高級教練機), identified as No. 1130, crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Taitung Chihang Air Base (台東志航基地) on Sunday morning (Feb. 16).
Internal Air Force sources revealed that the pilot reported no apparent Foreign Object Debris (FOD, 外部異物傷害), ingestion. Additionally, a wingman noted the presence of birds in the flight path during takeoff.
The F124 engines powering the Brave Eagle jets are produced by the International Turbine Engine Company (ITEC, 國際渦輪發動機公司), a joint venture between Honeywell International Inc. (美商漢偉) and Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation. (AIDC, 漢翔). These engines are widely used in subsonic jet trainers.
The incident is under investigation, the Air Force has only offered limited information since.
