Chinese fighter pilot lost at sea, presumed dead, after his F-8 (aka Jianjiji-8, or J-8, not to be confused with a U.S. F-8) jet was destroyed in a mid-air collision with an American EP-3E ARIES II signals intelligence plane on April 1, 2001. The collision damaged the nose and left outer propeller of the American plane, forcing it to make an emergency landing on a Chinese air base on Hainan Island, where the plane and crew of 24 were held for 11 days while the Chinese government demanded a full apology from the United States government. His wife, Ruan Guoqin, sent a letter to the President accusing him of being a coward for not apologizing. On April 11, 2001, the United States released a letter giving something the Chinese government could interpret as an apology, allowing the U.S. air crew to return home.