2020 ROCAF UH-60M crash

Last updated

2020 ROCAF UH-60M crash
01.14 Zong Tong Zhui Ban [0102] Xun Zhi Jiang Shi Xun Jiang Zhang , Zhui Jin Guan Jie Ji Ban Zeng Bao Yang Ling - Flickr id 49382970482.jpg
Joint funeral at Songshan Air Base, Taipei in memorial of the deceased in the 2020 New Taipei helicopter crash, with flag draped coffins on the front
Accident
Date2 January 2020 (2020-01-02)
Summary Pilot error due to inclement weather
Site Wulai District, New Taipei, Taiwan
Aircraft
Aircraft type Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
OperatorFlag of the Republic of China Air Force.svg  Republic of China Air Force
Registration 933 [1]
Flight origin Songshan Air Base, Taipei, Taiwan
DestinationDong'aoling Radar Station, Su'ao, Yilan County, Taiwan
Occupants13
Passengers10
Crew3
Fatalities8
Injuries5
Survivors5

On 2 January 2020, a Black Hawk helicopter of the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) Air Rescue Group crashed in the Wulai District of New Taipei, Taiwan, while executing a VIP transport mission. [2] General Shen Yi-ming, Republic of China's Chief of the General Staff (CGS), along with seven other personnel on board, died in the accident. [3]

Contents

Accident

933, the ROC Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the accident, seen in 2018 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk Zhong Hua Min Guo Kong Jun Jiu Hu Dui 933 (Cropped).jpg
933, the ROC Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the accident, seen in 2018

The Black Hawk was taking off for a routine mission to visit service personnel in Dong'aoling Radar Station, Su'ao, Yilan county. [4] The helicopter lost contact with Songshan Air Base at 8:07 AM, thirteen minutes after taking off and crashed into a mountainside. [3] [1]

General Shen Yi-ming, Chief of the General Staff, was on board the helicopter along with seven other officers and a senior enlisted adviser from the General Staff Headquarters, Ministry of National Defense (MND-GSH), a military correspondent, and three crew members. Shen and seven others including two Major Generals were killed, while five others were injured. [3]

Victims

Eight military servicemembers were killed and 5 were wounded. [5]

Investigation

During a news conference on 2 January, General Hsiung Hou-chi, Commanding General of the Air Force, stated that the government has set up a task force to investigate the cause of the accident. [3] The flight recorders of the aircraft were recovered on 3 January and sent to the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board. [6] [7] Proprietary hardware within the flight recorders were delivered to Sikorsky Aircraft. [8]

On 21 July 2020, the Control Yuan announced that Jen I-wei and Chou Shih-kai, both of whom were posted to the Air Force Weather Wing's No. 8 Base at the time of the accident, had been impeached. [9] [10] It was reported in January 2022 that the Judicial Yuan's Disciplinary Court had barred Jen from working in the public sector for two years. No penalty was issued to Chou, due to insufficient evidence against him. [11]

Aftermath

President Tsai Ing-wen, along with Generals and Admirals, participated in a moment of silence on the military conference after the helicopter accident 01.03 Zong Tong Zhao Kai [Guo Fang Jun Shi Hui Tan ] - Flickr id 49319999607.jpg
President Tsai Ing-wen, along with Generals and Admirals, participated in a moment of silence on the military conference after the helicopter accident
National flag at Dong'aoling Radar Station, scheduled destination of the flight, lowered to half-staff on 4 January in condolence of the accident 01.04 Zong Tong Wei Mian Kong Jun Di Yi Lei Da Fen Dui - Flickr id 49326599751 (cropped version for the half-mast).jpg
National flag at Dong'aoling Radar Station, scheduled destination of the flight, lowered to half-staff on 4 January in condolence of the accident

This accident occurred nine days before the Taiwanese general election. President Tsai Ing-wen's campaign office and Democratic Progressive Party announced that their presidential and legislative campaign activities would be stopped for three days, [12] [13] and Han Kuo-yu's presidential campaign office said that Han would cancel campaign events for two days. [3]

Reactions

United States

General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a statement to express condolences to members of the Taiwan military on the death of General Shen and the seven other deceased on behalf of the U.S. military. [14] [15] American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), U.S. representative mission on the island, also issued a statement to extend condolences on the accident, and that it stands ready to assist their Taiwan counterparts in the aftermath. [16] On 3 January, the flag of the United States at AIT Taipei Main Office flew at half-staff. [17]

Japan

The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association stated that "they were shocked and grief-stricken at the unfortunate deaths of the eight personnel, including Chief of Staff General Shen Yiming and would be mourned for their valor and service to their nation. At the same time also wishing the five remaining surviving personnel a speedy and healthy recovery." [18]

Other countries

Australian Office in Taipei, German Institute Taipei, British Office Taipei, Polish Office in Taipei, along with other foreign missions in Taiwan, as well as Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, Paraguayan Minister of Defense Bernardino Soto Estigarribia and San Christopher and Nevis Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Brantley and other senior foreign government officials have also expressed their condolences on Facebook or Twitter. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk</span> Series of military utility transport helicopters

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. Sikorsky submitted the S-70 design for the United States Army's Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System (UTTAS) competition in 1972. The Army designated the prototype as the YUH-60A and selected the Black Hawk as the winner of the program in 1976, after a fly-off competition with the Boeing Vertol YUH-61.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangladesh Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces

The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The air force is primarily responsible for air defence of Bangladesh's sovereign territory as well as providing air support to the Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Navy. Furthermore, the BAF has a territorial role in providing tactical and strategic air transport and logistics capability for the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)</span> US Army helicopter unit

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), abbreviated as 160th SOAR(A), is a special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces. Its missions have included attack, assault, and reconnaissance, and these missions are usually conducted at night, at high speeds, low altitudes, and on short notice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Bat Squadron</span> Military unit

Black Bat Squadron, formally the 34th Squadron, was a squadron of CIA reconnaissance plane pilots and crew based in Taiwan during the Cold War. Citizens of the Republic of China flew missions over mainland China controlled by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to drop agents and gather military signal intelligence around military sites. The 34th Squadron was formed in 1953 and flew its last operational mission in 1967. The squadron's emblem was a bat and seven stars surrounded by a red ring. The bat & stars allude to night operations. The bat's wing piercing the "red circle" intentionally and the position of the stars representing the numbers 3 & 4 for its formal name; the 34th Squadron of the ROC Air Force. The unit's aircraft included the Boeing B-17G, Douglas A-26C/B-26C Invader, 7 Lockheed RB-69A, Douglas C-54, 11 Fairchild C-123B/K Provider, Lockheed C-130E Hercules, and 3 "black" Lockheed P-3A Orion. The P-3As and RB-69As were armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for self-defense. 34th Squadron specialized in very low level air space penetration to hug the ground in order to evade enemy radars and fighter interceptions. Later when operating P-3A, its main mission was flying in international water, 40 miles outside of Mainland China, to collect signals intelligence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Israeli Air Force CH-53 crash</span> Aircraft crash

On 26 July 2010, an Israeli Air Force Sikorsky CH-53 Yas'ur helicopter crashed during a training flight in the Carpathian Mountains, near the city of Brașov in Romania. The accident took place during a joint Romanian-Israeli aviation military exercise code-named "Blue Sky 2010".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yen Teh-fa</span> Taiwanese politician

Yen Teh-fa is a Taiwanese politician and retired general of the ROC Army who has served as the minister of the Veterans Affairs Council since 2024. His ancestral home was in Nanjing. He was previously the Minister of National Defense and the secretary-general of the National Security Council. He was the chief of the general staff of the ROC armed forces from 30 January 2015 until 1 December 2016. He was the vice minister for armaments of the National Defense Ministry (MND) from 9 August 2013 until 15 January 2014.

Events from the year 2015 in Taiwan, Republic of China. This year is numbered Minguo 104 according to the official Republic of China calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash</span> Aviation accident in Pakistan

On 8 May, a Mil MI-17 transport helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps crashed in Naltar, in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, killing eight people. Among the victims were the ambassadors of Norway, Indonesia and the Philippines to Pakistan, as well as the spouses of the Indonesian and Malaysian ambassadors to Pakistan, and three crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huang Shu-kuang</span> Taiwanese general

Huang Shu-kuang is a Taiwanese admiral, who served as the Chief of the General Staff of the ROC Armed Forces after the decease of General Shen Yi-ming. Prior to his appointment, Huang served as Commander, Republic of China Navy, Chief of Staff of the Republic of China Navy and as commander of the Naval Fleet Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shen Yi-ming</span> Taiwanese general (1957-2020)

Shen Yi-ming was a Taiwanese military officer who served as a Republic of China Air Force general and the Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Minister of National Defense for Policy, and Commander of the ROC Air Force.

Events from the year 2020 in Taiwan, Republic of China. This year is numbered Minguo 109 according to the official Republic of China calendar.

This is a list of aviation-related events in 2020. The aviation industry was impacted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Turkish Air Force Eurocopter AS532 Cougar crash</span> Helicopter crash in Turkey

The 2021 Turkish Air Force Eurocopter AS532 Cougar crash occurred on 4 March 2021, when a Turkish Air Force (TAF) Eurocopter AS532 Cougar, en route to Tatvan District in Bitlis, Turkey, crashed in Bitlis Province. Eleven Turkish servicemen on board were killed in the crash, while two other servicemen survived the crash. Initially, five injured servicemen were hospitalized, though three of them, including Lieutenant General Osman Erbaş, the commander of the 8th Corps, later died of their injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Hualien train derailment</span> Railway accident in Taiwan

On 2 April 2021, at 09:28 NST (01:28 UTC), a Taroko Express train operated by the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) derailed at the north entrance of Qingshui Tunnel in Heren Section, Xiulin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan, killing 49 people and injuring at least two others, making it the deadliest railway accident in Taiwan in terms of confirmed deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash</span> Helicopter crash in India with 14 fatalities

On 8 December 2021, a Mil Mi-17V-5 transport helicopter operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed between Coimbatore and Wellington in the state of Tamil Nadu, after departing from Sulur Air Force Station. The helicopter was carrying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 13 others, including his wife and staff. Everyone on board was killed in the immediate aftermath, except Group Captain Varun Singh, who died from his injuries at a hospital a week later.

References

  1. 1 2 Ranter, Harro (2 January 2020). "Accident Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk 933, 02 Jan 2020". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network . Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  2. ↑ Everington, Keoni (2 January 2020). "Breaking News: Taiwan's Chief of General Staff among 8 dead in Black Hawk crash". Taiwan News. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Gan, Nectar (2 January 2020). "Taiwan military chief among 8 killed in helicopter crash". CNN. cnn.com . Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "Taiwan military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash landing". The Guardian. Reuters. 2 January 2020. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  5. ↑ "8 Taiwan military officers killed in Black Hawk crash mourned | Taiwan News | 2020-01-03 10:06:00". www.taiwannews.com.tw. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Yu, Matt; Wang, Yang-yu; Mazzetta, Matthew (3 January 2020). "Helicopter black box recovered, results expected in 1–3 days". Focus Taiwan. Central News Agency. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  7. ↑ "Helicopter Crash: Investigators recover the 'black box' from helicopter crash site". Taipei Times. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Weather unlikely to have caused crash". 5 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  9. ↑ Wang, Cheng-chung; Yeh, Joseph (21 July 2020). "Two Air Force officers impeached over negligence in Black Hawk crash". Central News Agency. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  10. ↑ You, Matt; Wang, Cheng-chung; Kao, Evelyn (22 July 2020). "Air Force respects impeachment of officers over chopper crash". Central News Agency. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  11. ↑ Lin, Chang-shun; Yu, Matt; Yeh, Joseph (23 January 2022). "Ex Air Force weather center head guilty of Black Hawk crash negligence" . Retrieved 24 January 2022. Republished as: "Ex-weather center head ruled 'negligent' in crash". Taipei Times. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "哀痛黑鷹重大傷亡！蔡英文、民進黨全黨今起暫停三天選舉活動" [Sorrow for the heavy casualties of the Blackhawk! Tsai Ing-wen, DPP's entire party suspended three-day elections today]. ettoday.net (in Traditional Chinese). 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  13. ↑ "黑鹰失事 民进党暂停三天竞选活动" [Blackhawk DPP suspended for three days] (in Traditional Chinese). Chinatimes.com. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  14. ↑ Lin, Chia-nan (4 January 2020). "Helicopter Crash: US military sends condolences after deaths". Taipei Times. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  15. ↑ Lee, Yimou; Wu, Felice (2 January 2020). "Taiwan's military chief among eight dead in helicopter crash". Reuters . Archived from the original on 3 January 2020.
  16. ↑ "AIT Extends Condolences for the Tragic Helicopter Crash on January 2, 2020". American Institute in Taiwan. 2 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020.
  17. ↑ 姿瑩 [Ziying], 侯 [Hou] (3 January 2020). 興盟 [Xingmeng], 林 [Lin] (ed.). "沈一鳴等8人搭黑鷹罹難 AIT內湖新館降半旗哀悼" [Shen Yi-ming and 8 others killed in Blackhawk] (in Chinese). Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  18. 1 2 Gan, Nectar (2 January 2020). "Taiwan military chief among 8 killed in helicopter crash". CNN. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.