Hainan Island Incident

April 1, 2001
Over international waters 80 miles off the Chinese coast, two Chinese fighters intercept a U.S. Navy EP-3 surveillance aircraft. One of the fighters collides with the EP-3 and the fighter pilot is lost at sea. The EP-3 is forced to land on Hainan, where its 24 member crew, including one USAF Airmen, is held for 12 days.

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