US
Navy EP-3E Aries II China and the EP-3
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On Sunday, April 1, 2001, a Navy flight was conducting electronic intelligence patrols along the Chinese coast. While the American EP-3E's mission kept it in international airspace, the Chinese sent up an interceptor to harass the flight. The Chinese F-8 buzzed the larger EP-3 and accidentally collided with it, destroying the fighter and forcing the Aries to land on a nearby Chinese island.
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| The incident immediately resulted in the Chinese seizure of the aircraft and the detainment of its twenty-four crew members. The resulting diplomatic standoff would test the new president and his highly-touted all-star cabinet sooner and more intensely than anyone had expected. |
PLAAF J-8 (F-8) Finback Interceptor
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