TransAsia Airways Flight 222 — 2014 plane crash of a TransAsia Airways ATR 72-500 on Penghu Island, Taiwan
The crash killed 48 of 58 people on board after pilots descended below minimum altitude in bad weather near Magong Airport, Taiwan.
Key Facts
- Date
- 23 July 2014
- Aircraft type
- ATR 72-500 twin turboprop
- People on board
- 58
- Survivors
- 10
- Deaths
- 48
- Cause
- Pilot error; descent below minimum descent altitude
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The flight crew intentionally descended below the minimum descent altitude while approaching Magong Airport in bad weather conditions. The investigation by Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council determined that the captain was overconfident, leading to a critical error in judgment during the instrument approach.
On 23 July 2014, TransAsia Airways Flight 222, operating an ATR 72-500 on a scheduled domestic route from Kaohsiung to Magong, Penghu Island, crashed into buildings during its approach to Magong Airport. Of the 58 people aboard, only 10 survived.
The disaster killed 48 people and prompted an investigation by Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council, which formally attributed the crash to pilot error. The accident drew renewed scrutiny to cockpit decision-making standards and minimum descent altitude compliance in adverse weather operations.