Brand new Taiwanese AH-64E helicopter gunship crashes; crew injured

This photo, posted by Weibo user @YaoChyi-Tsai, shows the scene of a Republic of China (Taiwan) Army Boeing AH-64E Apache crash on the morning of 25th April. The helicopter, which was only delivered to Taiwan in December last year, crashed onto the roof of a residential building in Taoyuan county at approximately 1027 local time during a training flight, according to Taiwanese news reports.

Both crew were injured but were said to be in stable condition, and there were no immediate reports of other injuries. The Taiwanese army has said the cause of the crash is being investigated.

All I can say is: Ouch!

UPDATE (0530 GMT): The serial number of the crashed AH-64E is 808. Preliminary reports indicate the aircraft was returning to base following a training flight when it crashed following "loss of power". Taiwan's remaining 17 Apaches have been grounded as a precautionary measure. Taiwan has ordered 30 AH-64Es, with twelve of the aircraft yet to be delivered.

The photo below shows the serial of the crashed Apache and a photo of the same aircraft with Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou during the handover ceremony.

UPDATE (1130 GMT): The pilots of board have been named as Captain Chen Lung-chien and trainee pilot Liu Ming-hui. Captain Chen has been quoted as saying the crash happened during poor visibility. Vehicle dash-cam footage of the crash has also appeared on Youtube. Right place, right time.

© AFP/Sam Yeh

© AFP/Sam Yeh

Chinese Shenyang Jian-8 (J-8) crashes in Zhejiang, pilot killed

Shenyang JZ-8F. Note the camera fairing immediately aft of the nose landing gear. (Chinese Internet)

BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A fighter plane crashed in Anji County in east China's Zhejiang Province at 7:11 p.m. on Thursday, leaving the pilot dead, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

The fighter aircraft, the Jian-8, was conducting night flight training when the accident occurred, the ministry said in a statement on its website Friday.

There are no casualties on the ground, according to the statement.

My notes: Judging by the location of the crash, the aircraft could be a Shenyang JZ-8F reconnaissance platform from the Nanjing Military Region's 93rd Brigade, based at Suzhou to the northeast of Anji County.

Another possibility is that the crashed aircraft was a J-8H interceptor of the 78th Brigade at Shanghai-Chongming, an island immediately to the north of Shanghai. (Map © Google )

Singapore AF Weapon System Officer injured in U.S Navy T-45 crash

T-45 Goshawk. U.S Navy Photo by LTJG John A. Ivancic

A Republic of Singapore Air Force Weapon Systems Officer was injured in yesterday's crash of a U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawk at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Lieutenant (LTA) Lu, Zhen Yang Ephraim was undergoing a routine training flight and was in the backseat of a US Navy T-45C Goshawk training jet piloted by a U.S. Navy instructor pilot when it crash landed. Both LTA Lu and the USN IP were injured in the crash and are recovering in hospital.

According to the statement from Singapore's Ministry of Defence, LTA Lu was on a Weapon Systems Officer (Fighter) Course conducted by the US Navy. The RSAF has a number of training arrangements in the United States operating both their own aircraft, as well as airframe hours leased from U.S. Air Force and Navy assets.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 26 Sept 2013

Kadena-based F-15C Eagle

Aircraft from the USS George Washington have conducted a joint exercise between the U.S. Navy and Air Force. USAF participants comprised of F-22s and F-15s from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

Demonstrating the global nature of their training, the Republic of Singapore Air Force's U.S.-based F-15s will train with the American, Canadian and German air forces in Idaho, while their F-16s are flying with the Indonesian Air Force and AH-64 Apaches and CH-47 Chinooks have been ferried to Australia to take part in Exercise Wallaby.

As if highlighting how they need replacement, a South Korean Northrop F-5E Tiger II has crashed. The pilot successfully ejected from the stricken jet.

The Chengdu J-10 fighter needs an export licence before it could be exported to overseas customers. There has reportedly been interest, though.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 23 Sept 2013

Taiwanese F-16B

A bit of Taiwan-centric regional military aviation news roundup today:

Frustrated by American refusal to sell it JDAMs, Taiwan has developed its own smart munitions to equip the RoCAF's fighters.

In an effort to determine the cause, Taiwan has salvaged the wreck of a Mirage 2000 from the sea following a crash in May this year.

Still on Taiwan, the first of 12 P-3C Orions should arrive in Taiwan in the next day or so.

Following a six-month deployment, the F-16s of the USAF's 55th Fighter Squadron has left Osan in South Korea and returned to their base at Shaw AFB.

A Chinese general has reiterated the right of Chinese military aircraft to transit through international airspace between two Japanese islands for training flights into the Western Pacific. He also said that such training flights will continue, irregardless of Japan scrambling interceptors to investigate.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 28 Aug 2013

Wreckage of this afternoon's tragic RoKAF T-50 crash

Republic of Singapore Air Force pilots are flying the Arizona ANG's F-16s training with the RSAF's F-15SG detachment at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. It's pretty well known that the RSAF has aircraft based in CONUS for pilot training, but much less well known is the agreement for RSAF pilots to train on ANG F-16s.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has announced that United States will sell 8 AH-64E Apaches to Indonesia. An interesting decision by the Indonesian military, to say the least.

Chinese State media has announced that Changhe WZ-10 attack helicopter has launched an air-to-air missile for the first time during exercises over the waters off China's Guangzhou Province last week.

Apparently, the South Korean Air Force is not happy with the F-15SE selection as carried out by the government procurement agency. Unsuprisingly, the RoKAF wants the F-35A. Some of the comments in the link are worth reading, too (which is the real surprise).

Still on South Korea, an RoKAF T-50 trainer has crashed this afternoon near the southwestern city of Gwangju while on a training flight, killing both pilots.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 23 Aug 2013

A People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Nanchang Q-5 has crashed near Dalian, in China's Liaoning Province today. The pilot was unfortunately killed in the crash.

Japan has announced that about half of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's 13 E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning aircraft will be transferred to Naha in Okinawa from their current base in Misawa, northern Japan. This is to improve the area's Early Warning coverage in the face of increased Chinese overflights in the area surrounding the disputed Senkaku Islands.

Meanwhile, I've done up a separate blog post with more details about JASDF F-2 fighters intercepting a pair of Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS Bears that were accused of violating Japanese airspace. Japan has lodged an official complaint, and Russia says it's investigating.

[UPDATED] U.S. military helicopter crashes in Okinawa

A United States Air Force Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) helicopter has crashed on the island of Okinawa. The crash happened at a maneuvering ground inside the U.S. Marines' Camp Hansen in central Okinawa, and three of the four crew on board have reportedly survived while one, flight engineer Tech Sgt. Mark A. Smith was unfortunately killed in the crash. Above is a reportedly a screengrab of the crash site as shown on Japanese broadcaster NHK.

The HH-60G would almost certainly to have been from the USAF's 33d Rescue Squadron, based at nearby Kadena Airbase. The squadron is part of the USAF's 18th Wing.

Kadena-based USAF F-15C crashes off Okinawa; pilot rescued

18th Wing F-15C Eagle

A United States Air Force F-15 Eagle from Kadena Air Base has crashed into the Pacific Ocean this morning Okinawa time. A Japanese military search-and-rescue team recovered the pilot around 10 a.m., about an hour after he ejected safely. The F-15 developed an unspecified problem leading to the pilot’s ejection about 70 miles (~115 km) northeast of Okinawa, the Kadena Air Base public affairs office said.

The USAF said the incident will be investigated and more details will be released as they become available. Kadena Air Base, on the island of Okinawa, is home to the USAF's 18th Wing which has two squadrons (the 44th and 67th Fighter Squadron) of F-15C/D Eagles.

EDIT: The USAF has now grounded Kadena's F-15s for one day to carry out a safety review and inspect the Wing's aircraft following the crash.

Taiwanese F-16 crashes into sea; pilot rescued

RoCAF (Taiwan) F-16B of the 455th TFW. Photo © unknown

A Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force F-16A crashed into waters southwest of Chiayi in southern Taiwan on Wednesday, but its pilot ejected to safety, according to the RoCAF. The pilot, Lieutenant Wu Yen-ting, reported an unspecified problem soon after takeoff and ejected shortly after. He was rescued by a RoCAF S-70 Search and Rescue helicopter.

Chiayi (嘉義) is home to the 455th Tactical Fighter Wing of the RoCAF, which operates three squadrons (Tactical Fighter Groups in RoCAF parlance) of F-16A/B Block 20s.

UPDATED: USAF KC-135 crashes in Kyrgyzstan, photos of crash site

A USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker of the 22nd Air Refuelling Wing, normally based at McConnell AFB, Kansas has crashed soon after takeoff from Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan. Serialled 63-8877, the KC-135 was supporting coalition forces participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan when witnesses reported seeing the aircraft crashing into a hillside.

The aircraft, carrying three crewmembers, came down at 14:55 local time in the Panfilov district, between the villages of Cholok-Arik and Chorgolu, some 90km west of Bishkek, near the border with Kazakhstan.

Manas AB is located about 23km (14 miles) from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. Below are some photos of the crash site:

UPDATE: Sadly two of the crew have been found deceased among the wreckage of the aircraft. According to the Air Force, the crew were from the USAF's 92d Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington. The aircraft itself had just recently arrived in-theater, having been logged by European planespotters in the Netherlands and United Kingdom departing RAF Mildenhall bound for Manas on the 2nd of May.

Meanwhile a new photo (below) has appeared purportedly showing the scene soon after the aircraft impacted the ground. Of note are the thin wisps of smoke near the top of the photo; which may (or may not) lend credence to eyewitnesses who said they saw the aircraft explode and fall to the ground in flames.

Indonesian Hawk crashes near Pekanbaru; pilot unhurt

A Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU, or Indonesian Air Force) BAe Hawk 209 single-seat lightweight combat jet has crashed in Pasir Putih, near Pekanbaru on Indonesia's Sumatra Island this morning. The pilot, Second Lieutenant Reza Yori Prasetyo, ejected and made a safe landing as the aircraft went down during a routine training mission.

According to witnesses quoted by Indonesia's Antara News Agency, the ill-fated jet was performing "aerobatic manoeuvres, along with two other similar aircraft" when it crashed.

As the above screengrab from Indonesia's Metro TV shows, the serial number of the crashed aircraft was TT-0212. Based on the location, the aircraft will most likely have come from Skuadron Udara 12, based at Pekanbaru's Sultan Syarif Kasim II airbase.

Following the crash, the TNI-AU has grounded its remaining Hawks until the investigation into the incident has been completed.

The TNI-AU currently operates a second Hawk 109/209 Squadron, Skuadron Udara 1 at Pontianak/Supadio with a third squadron, Skuadron Udara 15 operating the Hawk 53 at Madiun/Iswahjudi.

More photos:

Note: Click on last two images for larger versions. Spotter's badge for these photos goes to xtemujin. Original photographer unknown.

French Mirage crash kills Taiwanese exchange pilot

Mirage 2000-5F of EC 01.002. Photo © Tom Houquet/Koksijde Spotting Group

The Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) has confirmed a Taiwanese exchange pilot died in a crash of a French Armee de l'Air Mirage 2000-5F fighter during a training flight in eastern France Wednesday. The pilot, identified as 37-year-old Lieutenant-Colonel Wang Tung-yi (王同義) was on a training exchange program at Luxeuil/St.Sauveur airbase.

According to a Radio France Internationale report, local witnesses said they saw a "ball of fire" crash into a wooded area about 500 meters from a group of houses, while Froideconche Mayor Henri Passard said that based on information he had received, Lieutenant-Colonel Wang did everything in his power to avoid crashing into houses and subsequently ejected too late to save himself. The French newspaper Le Pays has pinpointed the crash site (see map below) as just north of the nearby town of Luxeuil-les-Bains.

Map of reported crash site. Note location of town and airbase

The Armee de l'Air has been reported to have announced at a news conference that the Mirage crashed two minutes after taking off at approximately 1005 hrs local and was loaded with 240 20mm shells and 7000 liters of fuel, flying as number 4 of a 4-ship patrol which was part of the "operational alert" force (Ed: QRA?)

Luxeuil/St.Sauveur (BA116) is the home of the Mirage 2000-5s of EC 01.002 Cigognes, one of the most famous units of the Armee de l'Air. The RoCAF operates 56 (from an original order of 60) Mirage 2000-5Di and -5Ei with the three squadrons based at Hsinchu, in the northeastern part of the island of Taiwan.

UPDATE: The RoCAF has grounded it's fleet of Mirages pending the outcome of the crash investigation. It has also been revealed the Lt-Col Wang was two months away from completing his two-year exchange stint in France. Sources indicate that the crashed Mirage was serialled 116-ER (n°68).

Brunei AF Bell 212, USAF F-16 crash in seperate incidents

A bad weekend in our neighbourhood for military aviation with a Royal Brunei Air Force Bell 212 helicopter crashing while carrying 11 military cadets and three crew home after training in the jungle, tragically killing 12 on board.

Meanwhile on Sunday morning, a USAF F-16C crashed into the sea 200 miles (320km) off northern Japan whilst on a ferry flight from Misawa Air Base in Japan to the mainland United States. The pilot, from the USAF's 35th Fighter Wing based at Misawa, ejected from the stricken aircaft and was rescued by civilian vessels.

USN MH-53E Sea Dragon destroyed in South Korean crash

A U.S. Navy Sikorsky MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter has been destroyed after making an emergency landing at the southern seaside village of Pohang in South Korea on Friday. No casualties were reported among the twelve American military on board or on the ground.

It was reported that a fire started from the rotor and consumed the helicopter before being putting out by firefighters sent to the scene.

The MH-53E Sea Dragon is a version of the CH-53E Super Stallion used by the U.S. Navy for the airborne mine countermeasures role. A total of 46 Sea Dragons were built.

Indonesian AF Fokker F-27 crashes into Jakarta neighbourhood

An Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) Fokker F-27 turboprop transport has crashed into a Jakarta neighbourhood while landing at the city's Halim airport at 2.45pm local time. AP is reporting that at least nine people, including six of the aircraft's seven crew, have been killed.

It has been reported that the crashed aircraft was A-2708, one of six similar aircraft in TNI-AU service.

Florida Osprey crash causes reverberations in Japan

Five crew were injured when a United States Air Force (USAF) CV-22 Osprey crashed in Florida while on a gunnery training mission on Thursday (Florida time). The crash is a further setback for the Japanese government's attempts to smooth over the deployment of US Marine Corps (USMC) MV-22 Ospreys to Okinawa, which has faced stiff and vociferous resistance from Okinawan residents concerned about noise and safety issues over the controversial tiltrotor aircraft.

Despite the Pentagon insisting that the deployment of MV-22s will proceed as planned to Marine Combat Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni on the Japanese mainland and subsequently to Okinawa's MCAS Futenma later this year, word from the Japanese government is that it has suspended the process of deploying the MV-22s to Japan until the cause and other details of the recent Osprey crash have been established.

The USMC plans to eventually replace 24 ageing CH-46F Sea Knights serving with two squadrons based in Okinawa with the Ospreys, beginning with the aircraft belonging to the Dragons of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265) which will then be known as Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265).

Taiwanese S-70C crashes during rescue mission, 5 missing

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has said that a Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) S-70C rescue helicopter has crashed into the sea 48 nautical miles southeast of Orchid Island on Monday night local time. The helicopter, serialed 7017, was on it's way to render assistance to a Taiwanese fisherman on a ship operating in the seas off Orchid Island who had suffered a heart attack.

Of the six crew, one nurse was rescued, but the remaining five crew members, including the pilot, deputy pilot, a medical officer, an engineer, and another nurse remain missing.

USAF F-16 crashes in South Korea; pilot safe

The United States Air Force's 51st Fighter Wing has said that one of it's F-16s has crashed in South Korea, around noon local time. The jet reportedly crashed into a paddy field near Kunsan Airbase, 150 miles south of the South Korean capital Seoul. The sole pilot in the aircraft safely ejected before the crash, and no casualties on the ground, or property damage occurred.

The U.S. military is in the midst of Foal Eagle, its largest annual joint exercise with the South Korean military. It was not immediately clear whether the F-16 was participating in the exercise at the time of the crash.

The Osan-based 51st FW is one of two USAF fighter wings based permanently in South Korea under the command of the Pacific Air Forces. The 51st FW comprises of 2 squadrons, with the Flying Fiends of the 36th Fighter Squadron flying the F-16CG/DG Block 40 operating alongside the A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support aircraft of the 25th FS.

Burmese rebels shoot down army helicopter

Ethnic Kachin rebels have claimed that they have shot down an unidentified Russian-built helicopter belonging to Myanmar's Air Force on the 4th of January. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) said the pilot died in the crash landing in a paddy field near Sinlum Bum village in N’Mawk (Momauk) Township, and that the helicopter was shot down by small arms fire during a resupply mission.

According to the Asian Military Review, the Myanmar Air Force operates the Mil Mi-2, Mi-8 and Mi-24/35 helicopters, all of which have varying transport capabilities.