ROCAF F-16 Missing 17 November 2020

Official Ministry of National Defense statement: https://www.facebook.com/16014495071549 ... 11349/?d=n

United Daily News livestream/recording of ROCAF press conference: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v= ... _permalink

• Loss of contact 18.17h local time, 8 nautical miles northeast of Hualien AB
• Pilot Colonel Jiang Zhen-zhi, a flight instructor with 1815 F-16 flight hours as of the incident
• Pilot and aircraft of 5th Tactical Fighter Wing, 26th Tactical Fighter Group.

Also see: F-16.net news article

Tuesday, 17 November 2020:
F-16A Block 20.
6672 | S/N 93-0773 | C/N TA-72
26th TFG, 5th TFW, ROCAF, based at Hua Lian AB, Hua Lian County.

Second of flight of four.

• 6:05 PM, took off, at Hua Lian AB, for night training.
• 6:07 PM, radar blip disappeared, above 6,000' ASL, 9 NM northeast of Hua Lian AB.
• 6:25 PM, ROCAF scrambled S-70C 7015 SAR helo (C493) from Song Shan AB.
• 6:58 PM, ROCN scrambled S-70C-6 2307 ASW helo (VY005) from Hua Lian AB.
• Coast Guard scrambled CG-118 Keelung, and four boats (PP-2059, PP-3568, PP-5052, PP-10028).

Pilot missing

• Colonel JIANG Zheng Zhi (CHIANG Cheng Chih, 44).
• CO, 26th TFG, ROCAF.
• Flight time: 2,230 hours.
• F-16 flight time: 1,815 hours.
• Married, without children.

5th TFW CO's first press conference scheduled at 8 PM, delayed to 9 PM, at Hua Lian AB.

6 PM, local weather was light rain, visibility 4 3/8 miles.
Pilot(s) reported thin clouds at 2,000', and thick clouds from 4,000' to 7,000'.

6672 had total flight time 2,861 hours.

Aircraft last scheduled inspection was entered depot on 23 August, and departed depot on 19 September.
Since then, flew 52 sorties for 51 hours.

Engine total operation time was 4,585 hours.
Engine last scheduled inspection was entered depot on 12 September, and departed depot on 9 October.
Since then, operated for 44.9 hours.

https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202011175011.aspx

Photo of 6672 when it took off, on 17 November 2020, afternoon.

https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews ... 0407?chdtv
http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F ... ofile/4135
https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202011170018

Wednesday, 8 February 2006:
F-16A Block 20 F-16A-20-CF
6672. S/N 93-0773. C/N TA-72.
ROCAF, based at Hua Lian AB, Hua Lian County.

Morning, during training, cockpit electricity generator warning light lit up.
F-16 was near CCK AB, Tai Chung County, so it diverted to, and landed, there.

Pilot: Major XU Hong Zhou.
http://dava.ncl.edu.tw/MetadataInfo.asp ... &id=279091

TV news video.
This video is the noon news: https://tw.appledaily.com/politics/2020 ... AMDA6P2IQ/

(Another sh_tty night, IMO.)

https://www.ctwant.com/article/85524

Wednesday, 2020/11/18:
ROCAF CO's press conference.

Radar tracks, and transcript of radio chatter.
Accident F-16 was Two.

18:04:51 and 18:04:54, Two said "Two, tied."
He meant he had locked onto aircraft before him.

18:05:47, Two said "Two, loud and clear."
He meant radio communication was loud and clear.

18:06:25, One said he (One) was still in clouds, and after he exited clouds, he would report.

Radar tracks were from Three's radar that locked onto Two, from behind Two.

18:06:07, Two was altitude 7,000', speed 310 knots, bearing 100 degrees.
18:06:21, altitude 4,000', speed 390 knots, bearing 060 degrees.
18:06:27, altitude 0', speed 500 knots, bearing 080 degrees.

In 20 seconds, Two accelerated, and dived 7,000', when Two should be climbing, flying into clouds, and turning.

Video of the press conference: https://www.facebook.com/MilitarySpokes ... 3040352406

Between the radar tracks and how they are going to increase training time for F-16 pilots to handle spatial disorientation, even if they haven't stated that they believe it was it, they sure act like they believe it was.

Are those Vs they're getting equipped with Auto-GCAS?

https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202011180038.aspx

Wednesday, 2020/11/18:
While F-16 squadrons are grounded at Chia Yi AB and Hua Lian AB, their missions are replaced by F-CK-1 IDF squadrons at Tai Chung AB and Tai Nan AB.

[quote="krieger22"]Video of the press conference: https://www.facebook.com/MilitarySpokes ... 3040352406[/quote]

At just one day after accident, to be fair / neutral, personally I think accident cause can be human error and / or mechanical error.
That is, pilot operated incorrectly.
Or, the instruments functioned incorrectly.

Earlier today, before this ROCAF press conference with radar plots and transcripts, I thought the circumstances of this missing F-16, were very similar to the missing JASDF F-35 last year (2019).
Both pilots were very experienced, and apparently didn't mention they had any warning light in the cockpit.
Worse, after their fighters disappeared, the initial news articles didn't mention any distress signal from their ejection seats either. 8(

Don't remember if the ROCAF new F-16V will have Auto-GCAS or not, but I think JASDF new F-35 will have it.
I presume it functions kind of like the auto-pilot in flight sims?
When I over-manoeuvred, and stalled, I tapped on auto-pilot, and it would try to level the fighter, then I tapped off it, to resume manoeuvring the fighter. 8D

Don't remember if the ROCAF new F-16V will have Auto-GCAS or not, but I think JASDF new F-35 will have it.
I presume it functions kind of like the auto-pilot in flight sims?
When I over-manoeuvred, and stalled, I tapped on auto-pilot, and it would try to level the fighter, then I tapped off it, to resume manoeuvring the fighter. 8D

According to the person-who-works-with-the-F-35-program I know, F-35 Auto-GCAS was brought forwards due to the 302nd crash. If they're on the latest software, it's in it.

And yes, that is pretty close to how it does its thing.
[YouTube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkZGL7RQBVw[/YouTube]

https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202011195003.aspx

Thursday, 2020/11/19:
ROCAF already contracted Taiwanese civilian salvage ship Polaris Australis to salvage the F-5E that crashed into sea, near Chi Hang AB, on 2020/10/29.
But due to sea condition and weather, she only departed Kao Hsiung Port on 2020/11/16.

On 2020/11/18, F-16 FDR (flight data recorder) signal was detected in the sea, 8 NM from coast, near Hua Lian AB.
During the night, she diverted to Hua Lian Port, then towards the F-16 accident area.

https://newtalk.tw/news/view/2020-12-02/502958

Tuesday, 2020/12/01:
ROCAF F-16s, based at Chia Yi AB, resumed flights.

Because of weather, F-16s based at Hua Lian AB, didn't resume flights on 2020/12/01.
On 2020/12/02, afternoon, weather improved, and Hua Lian AB F-16s resumed flights.

About 1 PM, F-16 6708, flown by Major General XIE Ri Sheng, CO of the Hua Lian Wing, took off.
Three single-seat F-16s followed him.

http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F ... ofile/4171

F-16A Block 20.
6708.
S/N 93-0809.
C/N TA-108.

https://news.sina.com.tw/article/20201218/37185838.html

Friday, 2020/12/18:
ROCAF Command stated due to seasonal strong winds causing rough waves, and undersea rugged terrain, salvage operation for the missing F-16 was delayed to 2021 April or later, when weather would be calmer, with the pilot's family's agreement.

] Tuesday, 17 November 2020:
] F-16A. F-16A Block 20. F-16A-20-CF.
] 6672. S/N 93-0773. C/N TA-72.
] 26th TFG, 5th TFW, ROCAF, based at Hua Lian AB, Hua Lian County.

https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202105270389.aspx

Thursday, 2021/05/27:
ROC presidential order promoted missing pilot Chiang from Colonel to Major General, effective from 2021/05/17.

] Tuesday, 17 November 2020:
] F-16A. F-16A Block 20. F-16A-20-CF.
] 6672. S/N 93-0773. C/N TA-72.
] 26th TFG, 5th TFW, ROCAF, based at Hua Lian AB, Hua Lian County.

https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202107310011

F-16 fighter jet pilot awarded posthumous citation

2021/07/31

On Nov. 17 last year, Chang took off from Hualien Air Base at 6:07 p.m. in the single-seat fighter jet on a routine drill, and about two minutes later, the aircraft plunged 7,000 feet in 20 seconds and disappeared from radar screens, according to the Taiwan Air Force.

The Air Force later ruled out mechanical failure as the cause of the aircraft's disappearance in an area nine nautical miles northeast of the air base.

Instead, it said, the accident may have occurred because Chiang, 44, had suffered spatial disorientation and lost his sense of direction when the aircraft entered the cloud layer.