Taiwan Air Force officer killed after being ‘inhaled’ by fighter jet’s engine
2025-01-22
Category: america

A Taiwanese Air Force officer died after being sucked into the engine of a fighter jet, officials said.&nbsp; The incident reportedly happened at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base on Tuesday while the master sergeant was performing a pre-shutdown inspection of the aircraft.&nbsp; Taiwan’s Air Force said the officer was "inhaled by the engine for unknown reasons." She later was pronounced dead after life-saving efforts were unsuccessful.&nbsp; "In response to media reports that ‘it is suspected that an instructor's throttle application caused a female officer to be inhaled by a fighter jet,’ the Air Force Command stated that the case is currently being investigated by a task force in cooperation with prosecutors to clarify the cause," it added.&nbsp; TAIWAN HAILS IMPORTANCE OF US RELATIONSHIP, SAYS GROUP VISITS ‘CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND STABILITY’&nbsp;  Officials say they are "deeply saddened" by the death.&nbsp; Taiwan’s Air Force also said that it will "fully assist the family in handling the aftermath" and that it will "conduct a comprehensive review and improve the work process to prevent similar cases from happening again."&nbsp; CHINA WARNS US TO STOP ARMING TAIWAN AFTER BIDEN APPROVES $571 MILLION IN MILITARY AID&nbsp;  The plane involved in the incident was an Indigenous Defense Fighter, the Taipei Times reported, adding that the victim served in the military for around 17 years.&nbsp; A source familiar with the aircraft told the Taipei Times that the chance of a ground crew member being sucked into its engine – which has a fairly small intake opening -- is "miniscule." &nbsp; The source said after the plane lands, its motor speed is on a slow rotation and should have been stopped by the time the wheel chocks were being deployed at the base.&nbsp;  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP&nbsp; Security cameras installed in the hangar of the base should provide the full picture as to what happened, the source added.&nbsp;