A Taiwanese Air Force sergeant died after being sucked into a fighter jet’s engine during a routine inspection at Ching Chuan Kang Airbase, authorities confirmed. The tragic accident occurred as Sergeant Hu, a 17-year military veteran, was setting up wheel chocks for an Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) shortly after it landed.
Local media reported that Hu was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment but was pronounced dead. Aviation experts expressed surprise at the incident, stating that the engine should have been powered down before the wheel chocks were installed. The IDF engine’s relatively small opening, typically unable to accommodate a human, added to the mystery surrounding the incident.
An investigation is underway, with security footage from the hangar being reviewed for further details.
Similar accidents have occurred globally. In 2022, a mechanic in Iran was killed after being sucked into a Boeing passenger jet’s engine during routine maintenance. Another fatal incident involved airline worker Courtney Edwards, who died in December 2022 after being pulled into a jet engine at Montgomery Regional Airport, Alabama.
