TransAsia crash: Eight dead as plane crashes into Taiwan river

[Greg Hyde]

TransAsia crash: Eight dead as plane crashes into Taiwan river

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31125052

Impressive video on tonight's news

[Greg Hyde]

In car video of crash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0fWhYJNZt08

[Michael Cleary]

I am in Taipei at present,and was probably 3-4 km away when this happened - though was unaware of it until I saw it on TV while having lunch in a Restaurant. Local TV at present says 19 fatalities, 15 injured, 24 missing. The flight was bound for Kinmen, which is a Taiwanese Island just a few kms off the Chinese coast near Xiamen - apparently 31 of those on board were PRC Nationals.

It appears to have taken off from Runway 10 at Songshan (TSA/RCSS) Airport, which is right in Taipei City - surrounded by development on all sides, almost like Kai-Tak was - and has had trouble maintaining height for reasons unknown. Just missed some buildings on the way down, clipped a Taxi (those in it are OK, the Taxi isn't) on an Expressway and crashed into the Keelung River, which is rather shallow, and affected by tides at that point, hence it has not been totally submerged.

Local TV reports (4PM Taiwan time) 19 deceased, 15 injured and 24 missing from a total of 58 on board. How any survived is nothing short of a miracle when you see the videos.

Oh, and yes, Dash Cams are in almost every car/bus/taxi/truck in Taipei, so the emergence of such videos is no real surprise.


Not good for TransAsia of course, they lost a similar aircraft near Magong in Taiwan last July during a poor weather approach (tail end of a Typhoon) with 48 fatalities.

[Michael Cleary]

Aircraft Registration is B-22816, MSN 1141, ATR72-600 - less than a year old.

[Arthur T]

I've heard TransAsia's ATR constituted the most number of accidents of the same type.

Virgin Australia also operates the same type of planes too.

I'm concerned if this type of plane is safe or is some other factors which trigger the crash, in particular I'll need to catch this type of plane on VA soon.

I wonder if ATR72 has ETOPS which should allow single engine operation.

Hopefully as they salvage the wreckage and the black box we'll get to know more of what's happened.

[David Knudsen]

The ATR72-600 is approved for 120 minute ETOPS (EASA). It is of course a safe plane to operate on one engine, it wouldn't be certified to fly if it wasn't.

I have seen some comments from pilots that it does have excellent single engine climb performance even at max weights, and that it is generally an easy aircraft to fly, but the older models did have some issues in icing conditions but I believe that is ancient history now.

I suspect once the investigation gets under way it will turn out to be something more than a single engine failure.

[Rob R]

I've heard TransAsia's ATR constituted the most number of accidents of the same type.

Virgin Australia also operates the same type of planes too.

I'm concerned if this type of plane is safe or is some other factors which trigger the crash, in particular I'll need to catch this type of plane on VA soon.

I wonder if ATR72 has ETOPS which should allow single engine operation.

Hopefully as they salvage the wreckage and the black box we'll get to know more of what's happened.

Single engine operation has nothing to do with ETOPS. All multi-engine aircraft must be able to climb with one engine inoperable (OEI) following a failure at or above V1. If the failure occurs in the cruise they must be able to maintain the cruise Alt or drift down to a suitable ALT.

[Robert.M]

I wouldn't be concerned with the ATR72 in Australia. Remember, most if not all air crashes have series of events and not just a single cause. Sadly TransAsia doesn't have a very good history.

[Paul F]

Virgin had a issue with one not long ago.

[Rowan McKeever]

Yes. And the series of events in that instance was a bird strike and subsequent inadequate checks / repairs / maintenance following that incident. So not as a result of the aircraft itself.

[Michael Cleary]

Initial FDR data has been released and suggests that Engine #2 failed, but that #1 was then shut down.

[Paul F]

Yes. And the series of events in that instance was a bird strike and subsequent inadequate checks / repairs / maintenance following that incident. So not as a result of the aircraft itself.Suspected bird strike it was never confirmed.

[Rowan McKeever]

Absolutely right Paul, my apologies. Just re-read the ATSB report and fully accept I had the story all the wrong way around. Apologies again.

[Robert.M]

Virgin had a issue with one not long ago.

Yes and they were extremely lucky it had a good outcome. I doubt that type of incident will happen again, with protocols in place to prevent it from happening again. But still, I'll prefer to fly Virgin Australia over TransAsia.

[Michael Cleary]

Apparently 10 out of 49 (20%) of the Transasia Pilots being proficiency tested have FAILED an Oral Test on procedures in the event of an Engine Failure.

[Greg Hyde]

Not the first time that a good engine was shut down after an engine failure.

Remember Kegworth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegworth_air_disaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y9-wPkV4ls