China Airlines Flight 676
{{short description|1998 airplane landing crash in present-day Taoyuan City, Taiwan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| occurrence_type = Accident
| image = A300, B-1814, China Airlines Hong Kong, Kai Tak May 1997.jpg
| image_upright = 1.15
| alt =
| caption = B-1814, the aircraft involved in the accident, in May 1997
| date = 16 February 1998
| summary = Stalled and crashed while performing a go around
| site = Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport (Short of airport), Taoyuan, Taiwan
| coordinates = {{coord|25.089512|N|121.228268|E|region:TW-TAO_type:landmark_scale:30000|display=inline,title}}
| total_fatalities = 202
| occupants = 196
| passengers = 182{{cite web|url=https://www.asc.gov.tw/upload/statistics_files/statistics96-05.pdf|title=台灣飛安統計 1996-2005|publisher=Aviation Safety Council|website=asc.gov.tw|access-date=2016-08-28|pages=63|language=zh|location=Taiwan|trans-title=Taiwan Fei'an Statistics 1996-2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828231729/https://www.asc.gov.tw/upload/statistics_files/statistics96-05.pdf|archive-date=28 August 2016|url-status=dead}}{{rp|52}}{{cite news|url=http://news.cts.com.tw/cts/general/199802/199802160012726.html|title=華航失事班機罹難者名單公佈|work=Chinese Television System| date=1998-02-16|access-date=2016-08-28|language=zh|location=Taiwan|trans-title=List of victims of China Airlines' wrecked flight announced}}
| injuries =
| missing =
| survivors = 0
| aircraft_type = Airbus A300B4-622R
| IATA = CI676
| ICAO = CAL676
| callsign = DYNASTY 676
| aircraft_name =
| operator = China Airlines
| origin = Ngurah Rai International Airport,
Bali, Indonesia
| stopover =
| stopover0 =
| last_stopover =
| destination = Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport,
Taoyuan, Taiwan
| tail_number = B-1814
| ground_fatalities = 6
}}
China Airlines Flight 676 was a scheduled international passenger flight. On 16 February 1998, the Airbus A300 jet airliner operating the flight crashed into a road and residential area in Tayuan, Taoyuan County (now Taoyuan City), near Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, Taiwan.
The Airbus A300 was en route from Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Indonesia, to Taipei, Taiwan. The weather was inclement, with rain and fog, when the aircraft approached Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, so the pilot executed a missed approach. After the jet was cleared to land at runway 05L, the autopilot was disengaged, and the pilots then attempted a manual go-around. The jet slowed, pitched up by 40°, rose {{Convert|1000|ft|m|abbr=}}, stalled, and crashed into a residential neighbourhood, bursting into flames. All 196 people on board were killed (including the governor of Taiwan's central bank, Sheu Yuan-dong, his wife, and three central bank officials{{Cite news|last=Shen|first=Deborah|url=http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=16060&CtNode=118|title=CBC governor killed in plane crash|date=1998-02-20|work=Taiwan Journal|access-date=2020-03-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525115132/http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=16060&CtNode=118|archive-date=2008-05-25}}), along with six people on the ground. Hsu Lu, the manager of the Voice of Taipei radio station, said that one boy was pulled alive from the wreckage and later died.{{Cite news|date=1998-02-17|title=Mourners gather to identify victims of Taiwan crash|work=CNN|agency=Associated Press and Reuters|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/17/taiwan.crash.on/index.html|url-status=dead|access-date=2020-03-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050307222827/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/17/taiwan.crash.on/index.html|archive-date=2005-03-07}}{{Cite news|date=1998-02-16|title=205 dead as China Air jet slams into Taiwan neighborhood|work=CNN|agency=Associated Press and Reuters|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/16/taiwan.crash.update4/index.html|url-status=dead|access-date=2020-03-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120151205/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/16/taiwan.crash.update4/index.html|archive-date=2008-01-20}}
At the time of the crash, it was the deadliest aviation accident on Taiwanese soil until the crash of China Airlines Flight 611. As of 2025, the crash remains the third deadliest accident in the history of China Airlines.
Background
= Aircraft =
The aircraft involved was an Airbus A300B4-622R, registered as {{Airreg|B|1814|.}} It was delivered to China Airlines on 14 December 1990 and was powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW4156 engines. The aircraft's serial number was 578 and it first flew on 16 October 1990. It was 7.3 years old at the time of the accident and had completed 20,193 flight hours.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}
= Crew =
In command was Captain Kang Long-lin, aged 49, who had joined China Airlines in 1990, and had logged 7,226 hours total flight time, 2,382 of which were logged on the Airbus A300. First Officer Jiang Der-sheng, aged 44, had joined China Airlines in 1996, and had 3,550 hours total flight time, including 304 on the Airbus A300. Both pilots were formerly with the Republic of China Air Force.{{Cite journal|last=Ladkin|first=Peter M.|title=The Crash of Flight CI676|url=http://www.rvs.uni-bielefeld.de/publications/Reports/taipei/taipei.html|url-status=dead|series=18 March 1998|publisher=The RVS Group|id=RVS-J-98-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010716075405/http://www.rvs.uni-bielefeld.de/publications/Reports/taipei/taipei.html|archive-date=16 July 2001|access-date=30 May 2007}} The flight consisted of 175 Taiwanese nationals, 5 Americans, 1 French, and 1 Indonesian.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/17/world/over-200-die-as-taiwan-jet-crashes-in-bad-weather.html|title=Over 200 Die as Taiwan Jet Crashes in Bad Weather|last=Gargan|first=Edward A.|date=1998-02-17|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-03-11|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|last=Farley|first=Maggie|date=1998-02-17|title=203 Die in Jet Crash Near Taiwan Airport|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-17-mn-20029-story.html|access-date=2020-09-06}}{{Cite news|last=Mufson|first=Steven|date=1998-02-18|title=CRASH RAINS TERROR ONTO COMMUNITY|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1998/02/18/crash-rains-terror-onto-community/6bd46d85-6743-43bd-90b8-f2f2529a210b/|access-date=2020-09-08|issn=0190-8286}}
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Ground | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align: left;" | Taiwan | 175 | 14 | 6 | 195 |
| style="text-align: left;" | United States | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| style="text-align: left;" | France | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| style="text-align: left;" | Indonesia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| class="sortbottom"
! Total !! 182 !! 14 !! 6 !! 202 |
Accident
The plane took off from Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, en route to Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport, Taipei, Taiwan, with 182 passengers and 14 crew at 15:27.
The Airbus carried out an instrument landing system/distance-measuring equipment (ILS/DME) approach to runway 05L at Taipei Chiang Kai Shek Airport in light rain and fog, but came in {{Convert|1000|ft|m|abbr=}} too high above the glide slope (at {{Convert|1515|ft|m|abbr=}} and {{Convert|1.2|nmi|mi km|abbr=}} short of the runway threshold). Go-around power was applied 19 seconds later, and the landing gear was raised and the flaps set to 20° as the aircraft climbed through {{Convert|1700|ft|m|abbr=}} in a 35° pitch-up angle.{{Cite web|url=https://aviationweek.com/retracted-landing-gear-cited|title=Retracted Landing Gear Cited in China Airlines Crash|last1=Thomas|first1=Geoffrey|last2=Sparaco|first2=Pierre|date=1998-02-23|website=aviationweek.com|publisher=Aviation Week Network|url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://aviationweek.com/extreme-pitch|title=Extreme Pitch-up Noted in Taipei Crash|last=Thomas|first=Geoffrey|date=1998-03-16|website=aviationweek.com|publisher=Aviation Week Network|url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://aviationweek.com/china-airlines-offers-restitution-families-crash-victims|title=China Airlines Offers Restitution To Families Of Crash Victims|website=aviationweek.com|publisher=Aviation Week Network|url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-01}}
Reaching {{Convert|2751|ft|m|abbr=}} (42.7° pitch-up, {{Convert|45|kn|mph km/h|abbr=}} speed), the A300 stalled. Control could not be regained, as the aircraft fell and smashed into the ground {{Convert|200|ft|m|abbr=}} left of the runway. It then surged forward, hit a utility pole and a median strip of Provincial Highway 15 and skidded into several houses, surrounded by fish farms, rice paddies, factories, and warehouses, and exploded, killing all on board and 6 people on the ground.
Weather was {{Convert|2400|ft|m|abbr=}} visibility, runway visual range runway 05L of {{Convert|3900|ft|m|abbr=}}, {{Convert|300|ft|m|abbr=}} broken ceiling, {{Convert|3000|ft|m|abbr=}} overcast.{{cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |date=16 February 1998 |title=ASN Accident Description (China Airlines 676) |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19980216-0 |access-date=18 December 2016 |website=Aviation Safety Network |publisher=Flight Safety Foundation}} According to the cockpit voice recorder, the last words, from the first officer, were "Pull it up, too low!" This was surrounded by the terrain alarm and stall warnings.{{Cite web |title=China Airlines 676 CVR Transcript |url=http://www.airdisaster.com/cvr/ca676tr.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702204306/http://www.airdisaster.com/cvr/ca676tr.shtml |archive-date=2 July 2013 |website=Airdisaster.com}}
Investigation and conclusion
On initial approach to land, the aircraft was more than 300 m above its normal altitude when it was only 6 nautical miles away from the airport. Nonetheless, it continued the approach. Only when approaching the runway threshold was a go-around initiated. During this time, the pilot had pushed the yoke forward and the plane's autopilot was disengaged, but he was not aware of it, so during the go-around, he did nothing to actively take control of the plane, as he thought the autopilot would initiate the maneuver. For 11 seconds, the plane was under no one's control.{{Cite web |date=2000-05-18 |title=Aircraft Accident Investigation Report – China Airlines Airbus A300B4-622R, B-1814 Da-Yuang, Tao-Yuang February 16, 1998 |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/reports/1998/19980216_A306_B-1814.pdf |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2019-04-21 |website= |publisher=Civil Aeronautics Administration |via=Aviation Safety Network}}
Following a formal investigation that had continued for nearly 2 years, a final report by a special task force under the Civil Aviation Administration concluded that pilot error was the cause of the crash of Flight 676.{{Cite web|url=https://aviationweek.com/poor-approach-cited|title=Poor Approach Cited|last=Thomas|first=Geoffrey|date=1999-07-12|website=aviationweek.com|publisher=Aviation Week Network|url-access=subscription|access-date=2020-03-01}} The report concludes by criticizing China Airlines for "insufficient training" and "poor management of the resources in the pilot's cabin".{{Cite news|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2000/01/04/0000018211|title=Official report says CAL crash was caused by pilot|last=Yu-hui|first=Su|date=4 January 2000|work=Taipei Times}}
Aftermath
File:The wreckage of the plane crash of Dayuan in 1998.jpg
After the accident, China Airlines flight number 676 was retired and changed to Flight 772; it was still operated by the Airbus A300 until they were replaced by Airbus A330 aircraft.{{Cite web|title=China Airlines (CI) #772|url=http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CAL772|access-date=2020-03-01|website=FlightAware}}
The Airbus A300 was in the fleet of China Airlines until 2006, when it was replaced by the Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft.
In popular culture
The crash was featured in season 24, episode 5 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday, titled "Eleven Deadly Seconds".{{Cite AV media |url=https://trakt.tv/shows/mayday/seasons/24/episodes/5 |title=Mayday 24x05 "Eleven Deadly Seconds (China Airlines Flight 676)" |access-date=2024-06-09 |via=trakt.tv}}
See also
{{Portal|Taiwan|Aviation|1990s}}
- China Airlines Flight 140, another crash involving an Airbus A300 during the 1990s, which also stalled and crashed on final approach.
- Flydubai Flight 981
- 2021 Piedade de Caratinga Beechcraft King Air crash
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
{{Clear}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{external media
| float = right
| width =
| image1 = [http://www.airliners.net/search?registrationActual=B-1814&display=detail Photos of B-1814 at Airliners.net]
| image2 = [http://www.baaa-acro.com/photos/A300-600-China%20Airlines-Taipei.jpg Picture of the crash]
}}
- [http://www.rvs.uni-bielefeld.de/publications/Incidents/DOCS/Research/Rvs/Misc/Additional/Reports/taipei/taipei.html The Crash of Flight CI676, a China Airlines Airbus A300, Taipei, Taiwan, Monday 16 February, 1998: What We Know So Far] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20000816002226/http://www.rvs.uni-bielefeld.de/publications/Incidents/DOCS/Research/Rvs/Misc/Additional/Reports/taipei/taipei.html Archive]) – University of Bielefeld
- [http://www.pilotfriend.com/disasters/crash/videos/02.16.98.htm CVR Transcript of Flight 676]
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Taiwan}}
{{Aviation incidents and accidents in 1998}}
{{China Airlines}}
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1998
Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by weather
Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Taiwan
Category:Airliner accidents and incidents involving fog
Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A300
Category:February 1998 in Asia