TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The salvage operation for a crashed Brave Eagle training jet resumed on Wednesday in improved weather.

Military personnel told CNA they would take advantage of the favorable conditions to retrieve the aircraft’s flight recorder after operations were suspended in bad weather last week. They said the waters around Taitung's Dulan, where the jet crashed, are unpredictable as they are affected by the Kuroshio and coastal currents.

Local fishers said monsoon winds likely moved the jet wreckage about 200 meters south along the seafloor. They said wind and waves have weakened over the past two days.

Military personnel said an unmanned submarine was deployed to search for the jet, per UDN. They said the company hired to find the aircraft has met its contractual obligations and they expect it will be salvaged soon.

The Air Force enlisted the aid of Dragon Geosciences to retrieve the aircraft in late February, about a week after it went down. The company also helped salvage a military fighter jet last year and a helicopter in 2018.

Rescuers found pilot Lin Wei (林瑋) shortly after the Feb. 15 crash, and he was discharged from hospital two days later. Brave Eagle jet trainers returned to the skies last week after a temporary grounding order.

The jet crashed after both its engines failed simultaneously, and bird strikes have been considered a possible cause. The aircraft is one of 66 the Air Force ordered, and the 42nd was delivered after the incident.