U.S. officials say a Taiwanese F-16 fighter jet made an emergency landing at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Hawaii on Monday afternoon and the U.S. Air Force pilot who was flying the aircraft was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Officials say the aircraft appeared to have problems with its landing gear and the pilot declared an in-flight emergency and landed. A netting barrier was used to slow and stop the plane, and the nose gear collapsed after contact with the net. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details prior to the completion of the investigation.
The U.S. routinely sells F-16s to Taiwan. It was unclear if the U.S. military pilot was testing the aircraft or preparing to deliver it to Taiwan.
