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01.14 總統追頒「0102」殉職將士勳獎章、追晉官階及頒贈褒揚令 - Flickr id 49382970482
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 summary
Date 2 January 2020 (2020-01-02)
Summary Pilot error due to inclement weather
Site Wulai District, New Taipei, Taiwan
Passengers 10
Crew 3
Injuries (non-fatal) 5
Fatalities 8
Survivors 5
Aircraft type Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
Operator Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan Air Force
Registration 933[1]
Flight origin Songshan Air Base, Taipei, Taiwan
Destination Dong'aoling Radar Station, Su'ao, Yilan County, Taiwan

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 7 other personnel on board, died in the crash.[3]

Crash[]

Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk 中華民國空軍救護隊 933 (Cropped)

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]

Killed Survivors/Wounded
  • Air Force General Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴), Chief of the General Staff
  • Army Major General Hung Hung-chun (洪鴻鈞), Assistant Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence
  • Air Force Major General Yu Chin-wen (于親文), Deputy Director, Political Warfare Bureau, Ministry of National Defense (MND)
  • Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Yeh Chien-i (葉建儀), Pilot, Air Rescue Group, 4th Fighter Wing
  • Air Force Captain Liu Chen-fu (劉鎮富), Co-pilot, Air Rescue Group, 4th Fighter Wing
  • Air Force Chief Engineer Master Sergeant Hsu Hung-pin (許鴻彬), Air Rescue Group, 4th Fighter Wing
  • Army Chief Master Sergeant Han Cheng-hung (韓正宏), Sergeant Major of the MND
  • Air Force Major Huang Sheng-hang (黃聖航), Aide-de-camp to the Chief of the General Staff
  • Navy Vice Admiral Huang Yu-min (黃佑民), Deputy Chief of Logistics of the General Staff Headquarters (GSH)
  • Army Staff Sergeant Chen Ying-chu (陳映竹), Journalist for the Military News Agency
  • Air Force Major General Tsao Chin-ping (曹進平), Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Communications-Electronics and Information
  • Air Force Major General Liu Hsiao-tang (劉孝堂), Chief of the Air Defense and Information, Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Operations and Planning
  • Army Lieutenant Colonel Chou Hsin-i (周欣頤), Staff Officer for Joint Operations, Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Operations and Planning

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 crash.[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 crash, 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[]

01

President Tsai Ing-wen, along with Generals and Admirals, participated in a moment of silence on the military conference after the helicopter crash.

01

National flag at Dong'aoling Radar Station, scheduled destination of the flight, lowered to half-staff on 4 January in condolence of the crash.

This crash 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[]

  • List of military accidents in Taiwan (Republic of China)

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Ranter, Harro (2 January 2020). "Accident Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk 933, 02 Jan 2020". Aviation Safety Network. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/231864. 
  2. Everington, Keoni (2 January 2020). "Breaking News: Taiwan's Chief of General Staff among 8 dead in Black Hawk crash". Taiwan News. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3848890. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Gan, Nectar (2 January 2020). "Taiwan military chief among 8 killed in helicopter crash". CNN. cnn.com. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/02/asia/taiwan-helicopter-crash-intl-hnk/index.html. 
  4. "Taiwan military chief among eight killed in helicopter crash landing". The Guardian. Reuters. 2 January 2020. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/02/taiwans-military-chief-missing-helicopter-crash. 
  5. "8 Taiwan military officers killed in Black Hawk crash mourned | Taiwan News | 2020-01-03 10:06:00". 3 January 2020. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3849395. 
  6. Yu, Matt; Wang, Yang-yu; Mazzetta, Matthew (3 January 2020). "Helicopter black box recovered, results expected in 1–3 days". Focus Taiwan. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/202001030011.aspx. 
  7. "Helicopter Crash: Investigators recover the 'black box' from helicopter crash site". Taipei Times. 4 January 2020. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2020/01/04/2003728686. 
  8. "Weather unlikely to have caused crash". 5 January 2020. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2020/01/05/2003728731. 
  9. Wang, Cheng-chung; Yeh, Joseph (21 July 2020). "Two Air Force officers impeached over negligence in Black Hawk crash". https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202007210023. 
  10. You, Matt; Wang, Cheng-chung; Kao, Evelyn (22 July 2020). "Air Force respects impeachment of officers over chopper crash". https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202007220020. 
  11. Lin, Chang-shun; Yu, Matt; Yeh, Joseph (23 January 2022). "Ex Air Force weather center head guilty of Black Hawk crash negligence". https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202201230004.  Republished as: "Ex-weather center head ruled 'negligent' in crash". Taipei Times. 24 January 2022. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2022/01/24/2003771962. 
  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" (in zh-hant). 2 January 2020. https://www.ettoday.net/news/20200102/1615889.htm. 
  13. "黑鹰失事 民进党暂停三天竞选活动" (in zh-hant). Chinatimes.com. 2 January 2020. https://www.chinatimes.com/cn/realtimenews/20200102003015-260407. 
  14. Lin, Chia-nan (4 January 2020). "Helicopter Crash: US military sends condolences after deaths". Taipei Times. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2020/01/04/2003728685. 
  15. "Taiwan's military chief among eight dead in helicopter crash". Reuters. 2 January 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-military-missing/taiwans-military-chief-among-eight-dead-in-helicopter-crash-idUSKBN1Z102B. 
  16. "AIT Extends Condolences for the Tragic Helicopter Crash on January 2, 2020". American Institute in Taiwan. 2 January 2020. https://www.ait.org.tw/ait-extends-condolences-for-the-tragic-helicopter-crash-on-january-2-2020/. 
  17. 興盟 [Xingmeng], 林 [Lin], ed (2020-01-03). "沈一鳴等8人搭黑鷹罹難 AIT內湖新館降半旗哀悼" (in zh). https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202001030033.aspx. 
  18. 18.0 18.1 Gan, Nectar (2 January 2020). "Taiwan military chief among 8 killed in helicopter crash". https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/02/asia/taiwan-helicopter-crash-intl-hnk/index.html. 

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