TransAsia Airways Flight 222
 | This article documents a recent aviation disaster. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (July 2014) |
 The aircraft involved, B-22810, an ATR 72, on 18 July 2014 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 23 July 2014 |
| Summary | Failed go-around; occurred during severe storm |
| Site | Near Xixi village, Huxi, Penghu, Republic of China (Taiwan) 23°35′N 119°38′E / 23.58°N 119.64°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | ATR 72-500 |
| Operator | TransAsia Airways |
| Registration | B-22810 |
| Flight origin | Kaohsiung International Airport |
| Destination | Magong Airport |
| Passengers | 54[1] |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 48[2] |
| Injuries | 14 (5 on ground)[3] |
| Survivors | 10[2] |
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TransAsia Airways Flight 222 (GE222/TNA222)[4] was a scheduled domestic passenger flight using an ATR 72-500 airliner that crashed during a landing attempt at Magong, Penghu Island, Taiwan, on 23 July 2014. It tried a go-around after an unsuccessful landing attempt before crashing. Flight 222 was travelling from Kaohsiung International Airport to Magong Airport with 54 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
The death toll reached 48 and 10 people had survived the crash,[5][6][2] revised from the earliest reports of 51 fatalities. Typhoon Matmo had passed through Taiwan earlier that day, causing strong winds and torrential rain;[7] some 200 airline flights had been canceled earlier in the day due to rain and strong winds. It was Taiwan's first fatal air accident in 12 years.[8]
Aircraft
The flight was operated with an ATR 72–500, registration B-22810, MSN 642. It first flew on 14 June 2000[9] and was delivered to TransAsia Airways on 20 July 2000.[10][11] The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 engines.[12]
Crash
Flight 222 was scheduled to depart from Kaohsiung at 16:00 Taiwan time (08:00 UTC), but it took off at 17:43 due to Typhoon Matmo.[6]
It was en route to the Magong, Penghu Islands, from Kaohsiung when it made an emergency landing in Penghu County. The flight's first landing attempt at Magong Airport failed. The pilot then requested to make a second attempt at 19:06,[1] after which the control tower lost contact. The plane crashed in the township of Huxi, causing a fire involving two homes.[6]
Cause
Taiwan News reported that "first suspicions hinted" the accident might be related to Typhoon Matmo,[6] which had passed over Taiwan and Penghu earlier in the day; radar images showed heavy rain over the area at the time of the crash.[7]
Passengers and crew
The captain was identified as Lee Yi-liang (李義良), 60, and the first officer as Chiang Kuan-hsing (江冠興), 39.[13] It was not immediately known if they were among the dead. The captain had logged 22,994 flight hours and the first officer 2,392 hours.[14]
There were 54 passengers on board, four of whom were reported to be children. The flight had a crew of four.[15]
| Country | Passenger | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 France |
2[16] | 0 | 2 |
 Taiwan |
52 | 4 | 56 |
| Total | 54 | 4 | 58 |
Reactions
- Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou ordered immediate assistance for the victims' families and a thorough investigation.[17]
- Xi Jinping, serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, conveyed condolences after the plane crash,[18] said a statement from the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.[19] An offer for further assistance was turned down by Taiwan.[20]
- TransAsia Airways general manager Chooi Yee-choong apologized for the accident in a news conference held on 23 July.[21][8][22]
- A moment of silence was observed by 19 international diplomats in Taiwan.[23]
Examination and investigation
Taiwan rescuers have recovered the black boxes of Flight 222 on 24 July. Initial results from the flight data recorders are expected from Taipei within a week.[24]
References
- ^ a b "Dozens dead as plane crashes on Taiwanese resort island of Penghu during storm". South China Morning Post. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ a b c Lee, Hsin-Yin (24 July 2014). "48 confirmed dead, 10 injured in TransAsia plane crash". Central News Agency. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "復興班機澎湖墜機 49罹難14傷" (in Chinese). Apple Daily Taiwan. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "Taiwan TransAsia Airways plane crash 'kills dozens'". BBC News. 23 July 2014. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ "TransAsia Plane Crash Landing 'Kills 51'". Sky News. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d "47 dead, 11 injured in Penghu plane crash: reports". Taiwan News. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ a b "TransAsia Airways crashes in Taiwan, at least 40 dead". USA Today. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ a b "Deadly Taiwan plane crash in stormy weather". CBS News. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "ASN Aircraft accident ATR 72–500 (72-212A) B-22817 Magong Airport (MZG)". aviation safety network. aviation safety network. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ "B-22810 TransAsia Airways ATR 72–500 (72-212A) – cn 642". planespotters.net. planespotters.net. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ "復航總經理鞠躬致歉 協助家屬" (in Chinese). Central News Agency. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ "ATR 42/72 - MSN 642 - B-22810". Airfleets.net. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ Park, Madison; Jiang, Steven (24 July 2014). "Taiwan plane crash kills 48 and injures 10". CNN.com. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "復興航空聲明全力協助家屬 提供洽詢專線". Taiwan Apple Daily. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ "Taiwan plane crash – latest". The Telegraph. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
- ^ "Two Frenchwomen killed in TransAsia crash, French office confirms". Central News Agency. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ 48 dead as TransAsia plane crashes into houses during Taiwan storm
- ^ "Xi grieves over Taiwan plane crash". Xinhua. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ "Xi Jinping Grieves over Taiwan Plane Crash". CRI English News. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ Yin, Chun-chie; Kao, Evelyn (24 July 2014). "Taiwan declines China help after plane crash, but expresses gratitude". Central News Agency. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ Fantz, Ashley; Jiang, Steven (24 July 2014). "Report: 48 killed in Taiwan plane crash". CNN.com. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ Tsai, Angela; Wang, Shu-fen; Lee, Hsin-Yin; Tang, Pei-chun; Hou, Elaine (24 July 2014). "TransAsia issues apology over deadly crash in Penghu". Central News Agency. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ Hou, Elaine (24 July 2014). "Diplomats observe minute of silence for Penghu crash victims". Central News Agency. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "Taiwan rescuers find black boxes after air crash kills 48". Channel News Asia. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.