Date & Time:
Jan 30, 1995 at 1943 LT
Type of aircraft:
ATR72-200
Operator:
Registration:
B-22717
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Magong - Taipei
MSN:
435
YOM:
1994
Country:
Taiwan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a positioning flight from Magong to Taipei. While descending to Taipei-Songshan Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a limited visibility due to heavy rain falls. The minimum descent altitude was fixed at 2,500 feet but for unknown reasons, the crew descended to 1,000 feet when the aircraft struck the slope of a wooded hill located 20 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The crew failed to adhere to the published approach procedures and continued the descent below MDA until the aircraft struck the ground. Brand new, the aircraft was delivered to TransAsia Airways last December 20 and was equipped with a category II GPWS. It is believed that the GPWS alarm did not sound in the cockpit and was not recorded on the CVR.
