Defense officials say the Air Force's fleet on Mirage-2000 fighter jets has
returned to normal operations.

The aircraft had been grounded for safety checks following a crash earlier
this month.

Sources say flight operations resumed when a twin-seated Mirage-2000
co-piloted by Major-General Pan Dong-ju took to the air Tuesday morning.

Pan heads the Air Force's Hsinchu-based 2nd Tactical Fighter Wing.

The resumption of normal flight operations came after the Air Force lifted
the grounding order for all of Taiwan's 50-plus Mirage-2000s following the
completion of a round of safety checks in the wake of the September 10 crash.

The Air Force has said that preliminary indications are that one of the
crashed fighter jet's engines lost thrust before the aircraft crashed.

However, a full investigation into the incident is ongoing.