A T-34 trainer aircraft operated by Taiwan's Air Force crashed at Gangshan Air Base in Kaohsiung this Tuesday morning, resulting in the deaths of two military pilots.

Per the Defense Ministry, a T-34 primary trainer aircraft (tail number 3414) assigned to the Air Force Flight Training Command was conducting a simulated engine-failure flight training mission at approximately 8:08 a.m. when it crashed near the northern end of the runway at Gangshan Air Base for reasons that remain unknown. 

The crash claimed the lives of two pilots, both lieutenant colonels, identified by their surnames Lu (盧) and Kuo (過).

Defense Ministry Spokesperson Sun Li-fang (孫立方) said Air Force Commander Cheng Jung-feng (鄭榮豐) arrived at the scene immediately after the incident to assess conditions. Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) also instructed the Air Force to provide all necessary assistance to the families of the deceased, Sun said.

“The minister instructed the Air Force to assist the pilots' families as quickly as possible with all follow-up matters. In addition, the causes of the accident must be thoroughly investigated and fully understood to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” Sun said.

Sun added that the Air Force has already established a special task force to determine the exact cause of the crash.