By KHT Staff. Photo caption: Following the plane crash at the Gangshan Air Force Academy, Legislator Ko Chih-en posted a message of condolence and urged the Ministry of National Defense to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and conduct a comprehensive review of flight safety. (Image from Ko Chih-en’s Facebook page)
KAOHSIUNG — Political leaders expressed condolences and called for a full investigation Tuesday after two Republic of China Air Force officers were killed in a T-34C trainer crash at Gangshan Air Base (岡山基地) in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (岡山).
The Air Force identified the officers as Lt. Col. Kuo Chun-nan (過俊男) and Lt. Col. Lu Chi-yu (盧季佑). The aircraft went down during a training mission, and the cause remains under investigation.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said both officers were Kaohsiung residents and described the crash as deeply painful. Chen said he had instructed the city’s Civil Affairs Bureau (民政局) to stay in close contact with the families and the military to provide assistance.
Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) said the country had lost outstanding service members and urged the Ministry of National Defense (國防部) to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and conduct a comprehensive review of flight safety.
Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) called the deaths a major loss for the country and said the military should provide timely updates on the investigation while giving full support to the officers’ families.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) also expressed sorrow over the deaths and instructed the defense ministry to explain the investigation’s progress when appropriate.
The Kuomintang (中國國民黨) issued a statement mourning the two officers and calling on the military to clarify the cause of the crash as soon as possible while providing generous compensation and support to the families.
The crash involved a T-34C trainer aircraft at the Air Force Academy (空軍官校). The Air Force has established a special investigation team to determine whether mechanical, operational, or other factors contributed to the accident.
