TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Video of a crashed People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) two-seater Chengdu J-10S fighter jet in Henan Province has surfaced, Chinese media reported on Friday (Oct. 22).
The footage shows the crashed aircraft on the bank of the Jialu River in Henan. The two pilots can be seen landing safely near the river bank. Witnesses claimed that the pilots were uninjured, according to Liberty Times.
A picture of the wreck posted in the Taiwanese military enthusiast Facebook group “New 27 unit military discussion” shows the nose of the plane visibly destroyed, while the rest of its airframe remains intact with seemingly no damage at all.
Neither the Henan Provincial Government nor the PLA Air Force have commented on this incident.
The J-10 is a multi-role fighter aircraft developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industry. It can carry air-to-air missiles such as the PL-8, P-11, or PL-12, and can be outfitted with laser-guided bombs and anti-ship missiles, according to Airforce-Technology.
Mass production began in the mid-2000s to replace the PLAAF’s Chengdu J-7 and Nanchang Q-5 fighters.