(Bloomberg) -- Weather, terrain and human factors were behind the crash of a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter in January that killed eight defense ministry officers including Taiwan's top uniformed military officer.
An initial investigation report showed that cloud and mist were thick due to sudden changes in the weather in the mountainous area, the Ministry of National Defense's Air Force Command Headquarters said in a statement.
The pilots couldn't make the helicopter climb high enough in time, according to the statement on Saturday. The possibility of mechanical breakdown is low, the ministry said. The air force will enhance training and equipment, it said.
Then-Chief of General Staff Shen Yi-ming and other senior officials were on their way to meet military personnel in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday last month when the helicopter made an emergency landing in a mountainous area of New Taipei City.
To contact the reporter on this story: Adela Lin in Taipei at alin95@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stanley James at sjames8@bloomberg.net, Jake Lloyd-Smith
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