TAIPEI: Taiwan's air force has grounded all of its ageing F-5F jets following the latest crash of one of the twin-seat fighters yesterday, off the outlying island of Penghu.

Both pilots aboard the ill-fated training mission are believed killed. Two bodies were sighted near the wreckage of the aircraft shortly after the jet lost radio contact.

The F-5F took off from Chingchuankang air base in central Taiwan at 11:14 am for an air-to-ground attack drill over a rocky reef area, but it disappeared from military air traffic control radar at 11: 36 am.

Shortly afterwards, an air force S-70C rescue plane flew to Penghu to carry out a search and rescue mission.

Reports said wreckage from the fighter, as well as two bodies, had been sighted in waters off Penghu.

Hsieh Mao-sung of Air Force 427 Wing said at a news conference that verification was required to determine whether the bodies were indeed those of the officers.

The plane was being flown by pilot Huang Ting-yu, a 26-year-old lieutenant, when it lost contact with air traffic controllers.

The flight instructor, 43-year-old Chang Liang-yuan, was sitting in the rear seat.

According to Hsieh, Huang was a bachelor who had a flight record of 294 hours, while Chang was the father of two young sons.

Taiwan has around 60 F-5Fs still in operation. Development of the fighters was begun in the 1950s in the US. Taiwan produced about 300 of the jets during the 1970s. Hsieh said the planes now are used mainly as trainers for pilots being groomed to fly new-generation jet fighters.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 07/16/2009 page2)