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 23 July 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.

Accident

Flight 222 was scheduled to depart from Kaohsiung at 16:00 Taiwan time (08:00 UTC), but it was delayed by bad weather and took off at 17:43.

The flight was uneventful until final approach. The weather at Magong Airport was inclement and visibility was poor, making it difficult for the pilots to see the runway. Kaohsiung Approach Control then instructed Flight 222 to remain in a holding pattern with three other aircraft. The flight crew then requested clearance to land on Runway 20. While they were waiting for their approach clearance, Kaohsiung Approach informed Flight 222 that the visibility had improved at Magong Airport. Immediately after that, the crew requested a landing clearance for Magong. Kaohsiung Approach then assigned the flight to a lower altitude and radar vector.

At 18:55 the aircraft was cleared to land. Flight 222 descended and maintained their altitude at 2000 ft, then descended to their assigned altitude of 400 ft. The crew then set their assigned altitude to 300 ft, below the minimum descent altitude of 330 ft. After descending through 344 ft, the crew then set the altitude to 200 ft.

At 19:05, the crew disengaged the autopilot and the yaw damper. The crew then tried to locate the runway, unaware that they had deviated to the left while descending. By the time the First Officer and the Captain called for a go-around, the aircraft had an altitude of only 72 ft, hence collision with the ground was inevitable. The aircraft sheared trees for several hundred feet in a small forest. The impact caused some parts of the ATR 72 to detach from its body.

Flight 222 then flew out of the forest and into Xixi Village. The aircraft then impacted and destroyed several houses in the village. The force of the impact severely damaged the aircraft, separating the outer right wing, vertical stabilizer, and empennage. The force of the impact tore open the center fuselage. The aircraft subsequently exploded and burst into flames. Bodies of some of the passengers were thrown onto the street of Xixi Village.

Most of the survivors who crawled out of the wreckage of the aircraft sought refuge in nearby houses. Residents of Xixi Village offered their assistance to the survivors, and some of them treated their injuries. Some of the survivors had cut wounds and burn injuries. 10 of the 58 people on board Flight 222 survived. Five people on the ground were injured.