TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Search operations intensified Friday (Jan. 9) for missing Taiwan Air Force pilot Hsin Po-yi (辛柏毅) and his F-16V fighter jet off Hualien County's coast. The aircraft disappeared Tuesday (Jan. 6) near Fengbin Township (豐濱鄉), prompting a large-scale, multi-agency effort involving air, sea, and ground forces now entering its fourth day. Authorities deployed 14 aircraft, two Navy ships, 183 ground personnel, 47 tactical vehicles, and 10 Coast Guard vessels, but neither the pilot nor the aircraft has been located.
The 5th Tactical Mixed Wing (空軍第五戰術混合聯隊), a Taiwan Air Force unit, reported coordinating the aerial search efforts across the waters off Taiwan's eastern coast. Search units discovered a suspicious life jacket in the Sanxiantai (三仙台) waters of Taitung County on Friday morning, but the Coast Guard later confirmed it as marine debris unrelated to the missing pilot. The setback has not deterred operations, with tactical drones deployed along the Jiqi beach (磯崎) coastline despite challenging sea conditions that have complicated the search.
Taiwan's military detected a balloon drifting across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary separating Taiwan and China, at around 9:20 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 8), 85 nautical miles (157 km) northwest of Keelung. The balloon, flying at approximately 16,000 feet (4,877 meters), vanished from radar by 12:30 p.m. the same day. Authorities have not linked the balloon sighting to the ongoing search for Hsin, treating it as a separate incident unrelated to the missing F-16V.
The F-16V, one of Taiwan's most advanced fighter jets, went missing off the eastern coast on Tuesday, though authorities have not disclosed additional details about the circumstances of the disappearance. Hualien County, situated on Taiwan's eastern seaboard, plays a crucial role in the island's air defense operations. The search continues as Taiwan's military coordinates with civilian agencies to cover both coastal and offshore areas in the ongoing rescue effort. ◼