2 Taiwan air force pilots die in T-34C crash, spurring probe and debate over aircraft

Lieutenant Colonel Kuo Chun-nan and Lieutenant Colonel Lu Chi-yu were killed when aircraft went down at Gangshan Air Base2-MIN READ2-MIN1ListenPublished: 1:42pm, 2 Jun 2026A Taiwanese air force aircraft crashed during a training mission on Tuesday, killing two experienced pilots and prompting renewed scrutiny of the island’s ageing fleet of T-34 basic trainers.The T-34C aircraft went down at about 8.08am at Gangshan Air Base in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, while conducting a simulated engine-failure exercise, according to the island’s air force.Both pilots on board, Lieutenant Colonel Kuo Chun-nan and Lieutenant Colonel Lu Chi-yu, were killed.02:55Peace is a ‘common wish’: Taiwan opposition leader meets Xi Jinping in Beijing in rare visitThe air force said the aircraft, bearing the tail number 3414, crashed near the northern end of the runway at the Air Force Academy, and that the cause was still being investigated.