A massive search and rescue operation is underway off Taiwan’s eastern coast after a Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16V Block 20 fighter jet crashed into the sea during a nighttime training exercise on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. As of Wednesday afternoon, the pilot, Captain Hsin Po-yi (29), remains missing.
The incident has prompted the Air Force to immediately suspend all F-16 training missions across the island to conduct comprehensive safety inspections.
Timeline of the Disappearance
The single-seat aircraft, serial number 6700, assigned to the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing, took off from Hualien Air Base at 18:17 local time.
- 19:27: Capt. Hsin reported he had become separated from the lead aircraft after entering heavy cloud cover.
- 19:28: The pilot radioed that he was experiencing a rapid loss of altitude and intended to eject.
- 19:29: Radar contact was lost roughly 10 nautical miles (18 km) east of Fengbin Township, Hualien County. The jet’s final recorded altitude was just 170 feet above sea level.
The Investigation: Computer Malfunction and Disorientation
While the investigation is ongoing, Air Force officials have pointed toward a critical technical failure as a primary factor.
- MMC Failure: Military investigators confirmed that the aircraft’s Modular Mission Computer (MMC)—the “brain” of the jet—malfunctioned during the flight. This failure reportedly caused the flight path and attitude (orientation) displays to stop working.
- Spatial Disorientation: Without reliable instruments while flying through clouds at night, Capt. Hsin likely suffered from spatial disorientation, unable to tell the sky from the sea.
- Unconfirmed Ejection: Although Hsin radioed “Eject, eject, eject” three times, the Air Force has not received a signal from his emergency survival beacon, leaving it unclear if the ejection mechanism successfully fired before impact.
Search and Rescue Under Brutal Conditions
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and the ROCAF have deployed a fleet of vessels and aircraft to the crash site, but efforts are being hindered by a powerful continental cold air mass.
| Asset Type | Deployment Details |
| Naval/Coast Guard | 9 vessels, including a Keelung-class destroyer. |
| Aerial Support | Black Hawk and S-10 helicopters; C-130s dropping illumination flares. |
| Ground Support | Mobile radar and sonar units deployed along the Hualien coastline. |
| Environmental Hurdles | Force 9 wind gusts, 3-meter waves, and temperatures below 10°C. |
A Personal Tragedy and National Concern
Capt. Hsin is described by his commanders as an “outstanding” pilot with 611 total flight hours (371 on the F-16V). He had just returned five days earlier from his honeymoon in Finland with his wife, a staff sergeant also stationed at the Hualien base.
President Lai Ching-te has ordered that “no resource be spared” in the hunt for the missing aviator, stressing that the military will continue the search well beyond the standard 72-hour “golden window.” This crash marks a significant blow to Taiwan’s defense readiness as the island continues to upgrade its fleet to counter increasing regional military pressure.
(ROCAF) F-16V Block 20 Fighter Jet’s Wikimedia Picture by 總統府
