TransAsia Airways Flight 222

TransAsia Airways Flight 222 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by TransAsia Airways from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to Magong, Penghu Island. On July 23, 2014, the ATR 72-500 twin turboprop operating the route crashed into buildings during approach to land in bad weather at Magong Airport. Among the 58 people on board, only 10 survived.

An investigation by the Taiwanese Aviation Safety Council found that the pilots intentionally descended below the minimum descent altitude and that the captain was overconfident, resulting in pilot error.

Crash
A TransAsia Airways ATR-72 passenger plane was destroyed in an accident near Magong Airport (MZG), Taiwan. There were 58 persons on board. Ten passengers survived the accident.

Flight GE222 had departed from Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH) at 17:43 on a scheduled domestic flight to Magong Airport, Penghu Islands, Taiwan. The flight had been delayed from 16:00 hours because of poor weather as a result of Typhoon Matmo that was passing through the area.

The flight arrived near the Penghu Islands at 18:11 and entered a holding pattern to the northeast. The Magong airport has a single runway 02/20. Runway 02 offers an ILS approach, while for runway 20 a VOR/DME approach is available.

At 18:27 the following weather information was passed on to the crew: runway 02: wind from 210 degrees at 5 knots, gusting to 11 knots; runway 20 wind from 190 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 15 knots. Visibility was 800 meters.

The crew then requested a runway 02 ILS approach and proceeded towards the south. At 18:43 a preceding UNI Air ATR-72-600, flight 647, requested a VOR approach to runway 20. This probably made the crew change their minds, since they subsequently also requested a VOR approach to runway 20. This was approved. The UNI Air flight landed at 18:56.

At 19:03 the controller cleared the flight to land on runway 20, reporting wind from 250 degrees at 19 knots.

At 19:05:44 the autopilot was disengaged an at about 19:05:58, the aircraft began to deviate to the left, descending below the glidepath. The flight had deviated about 340 m the left of the extended runway centreline when, at 19:06:11, the flight crew reported they were going around. About two seconds later the airplane contacted 5-6 m high trees, cutting a swath for about 100 meters. The airplane remained airborne for about 200 m until impacting a residential area.

According to the Magong Airport flight schedule, 55 out of 66 flights to Magong were cancelled on July 23.