Kaohsiung, Taiwan—A military training aircraft plummeted to the ground during a routine exercise Tuesday morning. The T-34 plane crashed at the northern end of the runway at Gangshan Air Base. Emergency crews reached the wreckage site within minutes, but both pilots were already dead.

The defense ministry identified the deceased as two senior officers, Lieutenant Colonel Lu and Lieutenant Colonel Kuo. They were conducting a simulated engine failure flight training mission when the aircraft lost control. Witnesses reported the plane dropped suddenly before hitting the runway perimeter.

Air Force investigators cordoned off the crash site shortly after the incident. They are now working to recover the flight data recorders from the charred remains of the fuselage. The cause of the sudden loss of control remains unknown at this hour.

Defense Minister Koo Li-hsiung ordered an immediate, comprehensive probe into the safety standards of the training program. He also directed the military to provide emergency assistance to the families of the two pilots. Air force leadership arrived on the scene by mid-morning to oversee the recovery efforts.

This marks the second serious aviation incident for the Taiwanese military this year. An F-16 fighter jet went missing off the coast of Hualien back in January during a night mission. Search teams never recovered the pilot despite an extensive and prolonged operation.

The T-34 trainer has served as a primary aircraft for the Air Force for decades. These planes were originally delivered in the mid-1980s. While maintenance schedules are strictly followed, the age of the fleet frequently draws scrutiny from lawmakers and defense analysts.

Air Force commanders are now reviewing all active training protocols following today’s crash. They have grounded similar aircraft while inspectors perform safety checks. The military must determine if this crash points to a systemic maintenance failure or a one-time pilot error.

President Lai Ching-te expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. He emphasized the importance of the sacrifices made by the two officers during their service. The military is now managing the fallout while the investigation into the debris field begins in earnest.

A task force remains on the ground at Gangshan Air Base to secure the site. Investigators will spend the next several days mapping the wreckage patterns. Operations at the base are halted until the initial safety review concludes later this week.