Fujian aircraft carrier safety flaws exposed in pilot scandal

A video released by Chinese state media revealed serious safety problems during test flights on the Fujian aircraft carrier. Pilot Yang Yong was awarded a first‑class defence science merit, but the award concealed a life‑threatening incident in which his aircraft suffered a severe cabin depressurisation at about 10 km altitude. Yang endured a loss of oxygen and remained at the prescribed altitude for 13 minutes before returning safely, a maneuver that officials portrayed as heroic.

The footage also showed that within a short period Yang witnessed multiple serious accidents, including a J‑15 fighter that suffered an engine failure during a ski‑jump launch and narrowly avoided crashing off the deck. Analysts warned that the carrier’s new electromagnetic catapult system could leave pilots with no chance to abort a launch if an engine fails, raising the risk of fatal crashes. The revelations sparked public criticism in China over the military’s rush to field the carrier’s systems despite unresolved technical risks.