TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A UH-60M Black Hawk air ambulance helicopter with six people on board went missing late yesterday (Feb. 5) evening after takeoff from Lanyu Island and is suspected to have crashed into the ocean, reported CNA.

The Black Hawk medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopter with the registration number NA-706 arrived on Lanyu from Taitung at 11:09 p.m. on an emergency medical evacuation mission. At 11:48 p.m. the helicopter lifted off from Lanyu bound for Taitung, however within three minutes after takeoff, communication was lost with the helicopter and the aircraft went off the radar.

Family members of some of those on board witnessed the helicopter lift off and then suddenly plummet into the sea. Search and rescue workers are currently searching for the helicopter and the six people who were on board.

Among the missing include the pilot, Kang Wan-fu, 54, who is from Pingtung and is married with two children. He graduated the naval academy in 1989 and over the years has accumulated 3,506 hours of flight time, 148 of which were flying the UH-60M Black Hawk.

The co-pilot has been identified as Tang Wen-yen (唐文彥), who is from Kaohsiung and is married with two children. He graduated the naval academy in 1991 and over the years has accumulated 2,098 hours of flight time, 216 of which were flying the UH-60M Black Hawk.

Also among the crew was 41-year-old Chief Engineer Chen Kuan-hung (陳冠宏), who is married and graduated with a Masters in Aeronautics and Astronautics from National Cheng Kung University. Chen has 1,471 hours of flight time, including 80 hours with the UH-60M Black Hawk.



Example of a UH-60M Black Hawk similar to the one missing. (CNA image)