Rescue teams survey the wreckage of the crashed Black Hawk helicopter. Photo: Yilan County Fire Bureau
Taiwan’s military chief of staff Shen Yi and seven others people died in a crash of Black Hawk helicopter in a mountainous region in the northern part of the island on January 2. The incident happened in New Taipei county’s Wulai mountain district.
SCMP reports (source):
Among the dead were two major generals – Political Warfare Bureau deputy director Yu Chin-wen and Hung Hung-chin, from the defence ministry’s office of the deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence. Also killed were a lieutenant colonel, a captain, a major and two senior master sergeants.
At an 11am briefing, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the location of the craft had been identified and that two Black Hawks and about 80 officers had been dispatched to the scene.
Taiwanese media later released images of the rescuers surveying the crash site.
Taiwanese media and a director from the New Taipei City’s fire department earlier said Shen had been found, and sent to hospital. The five known survivors include new deputy chief of logistics for general staff Huang Yu-min, deputy chief of general staff for communications Major General Tsao Chin-ping and Military News Agency reporter Chen Ying-ju.
The helicopter left Songshan Airport in Taipei at 7.54am on Tuesday bound for New Year inspections in Dongao in northeastern Taiwan’s Yilan county. At 8.07am the pilot issued a weather report before communication with the craft was abruptly lost.
A friend of mine in the British military is currently seconded to US Military helicopter training in the US.
He is a very experienced pilot. He said that the US pilots are often ‘dangerous’ and lack personal discipline.
He also said that the Black Hawk is not a good aircraft for military work and is also very expensive. The plan in the US is apparently to build more Chinooks that have a proven record of service durability, without all the Bells and Whistles of the Black Hawk.
All the Bh has is that.. Bell’s and whistles… you can hear them as they tumble outta the skies…
We have the money for very expensive aircrafts. Whats your problem?
Your nation is drowning under 23 trillion dollars of unplayable debt.
You cant actually afford to buy anything without first borrowing the $$$ from the Chinese and Saudis.
I hope the US keeps buying Gucci aircraft , Tommy :)
Good for the hard headed Taiwanese. They buy US junk that there is no need to shoot down as they fall out the sky for themselves… as shown here. America defraud these stupid govt I to paying premium prices for their junk. Better they had brought Russian aircraft for half the price but 10 times better and safer.
Stop buying american shit and join Russian/china
Seems a little unusual to have no escort with so many high level people on board one aircraft.
As American I send my condolence to the families of the trans gender couple and the left over husband of the Chief of Staff General.