A Taiwanese military T-34 trainer aircraft crashed on Tuesday, during a simulated engine failure exercise, killing the two pilots on board, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The T-34 plane crashed at 8.08 am (GMT) at the northern end of the runway at Gangshan air base in the island's southern port city of Kaohsiung, the ministry said.
The pilots have been identified only by their rank and surnames, lieutenant colonels Lu and Guo.
Local reports said the aircraft, tail number 3414, lost control for unknown reasons while conducting a simulated engine‑failure circuit. The two airmen — identified as Lt Cols Lu and Kuo — were pronounced dead at the scene.
Taiwan's defence ministry spokesman Lt Gen Sun Li-fang confirmed the fatalities and said air force commander Gen Cheng Rong-feng had gone to the site. Defence minister Koo Li-hsiung has ordered a thorough probe into the incident, directed authorities to put in place measures to prevent a recurrence, and called for immediate assistance to the families of the deceased pilots.
The air force said it has formed a special task force to investigate the cause of the crash.
In January, a F-16 fighter jet crashed into the sea off eastern Taiwan during a routine training mission. The pilot is believed to have ejected from the aircraft but has not been found.
