Taiwanese Fighter Jet Crash Lands At Hawaii Airport: Report

A Taiwanese fighter jet crash-landed in Hawaii, according to several reports. 

On Monday afternoon, the plane, reportedly a Taiwanese F-16, made a “hard landing” at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. 

“The pilot used the jet’s tail hook to slow down after the front landing gear failed, DOT [Department of Transportation] officials said. However, the jet did not appear to suffer serious damage and there have been no reports of injuries, they said,” the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. 

The plane was making a return journey after undergoing training in Arizona, according to one Taiwanese media outlet. 

The Star-Advertiser noted that Taiwanese planes coming from training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona have stopped in Hawaii before. The outlet added that a DOT spokesman confirmed the aircraft as “a visiting aircraft from a unit outside of Hawaii.”

The crash landing forced the airport to close an additional runway, leading to some possible delays for flights out of Honolulu.

Local outlet KITV4 reported that by 10 p.m., the closed runway had been reopened following an inspection and the clearing away of the plane by the military.

The U.S. has long maintained a relationship with Taiwan, offering training, and has sold millions of dollars worth of military equipment to the island. Last month President Joe Biden said that the U.S. was committed to becoming militarily involved if Taiwan was invaded. 

He made the comments alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, during his five-day Asia trip. Biden’s remarks come as there has been increased concern that China might launch an attack on Taiwan.

“You didn’t want to get involved in the Ukraine conflict militarily for obvious reasons,” one reporter said to Biden. “Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?”

“Yes,” Biden said. “That’s the commitment we made.”

It was unclear if Biden was referring to the prospect of sending only military aid or more direct action. He added that it would not be appropriate for Taiwan to be taken by force.