An Air Force pilot who ejected from a Mirage-2000 fighter jet has spent the
night in hospital.

Captain Hsieh Pei-hsun was piloting a single-seater Mirage 2000 and
conducting a night-time drill when his aircraft apparently lost power over
waters off Hsinchu County.

A search and rescue mission involving air and sea units was dispatched after
the aircraft disappeared from radar at around 8PM last night.

The pilot was found in waters off the coast of Wai-Pu Fishing Port in Miaoli
County by a Coast Guard Administration patrol vessel some 2 1/2 hours later.

Coast guard officials say the pilot's vital signs were stable and he was
conscious when he was brought onto the deck of a rescue boat.

The coast guard vessel arrived at the Port of Taichung earlier this morning
and the pilot was taken to a nearby hospital for an examination.

The Mirage-2000 fighter jet belonged to the Air Force's 2nd Tactical Fighter
Wing.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo has ordered a full investigation into the
cause of the incident.