TransAsia flight 222: 'Pilot error' behind Taiwan crash

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Image caption The plane came down in a residential area on Penghu island

Pilot error, fatigue and failure to follow safety guidelines were behind the crash of TransAsia flight 222 on 24 July 2014, a report by Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council (ASC) says.

The plane crashed in a heavy storm near Magong Airport on Taiwan's Penghu island, leaving 48 dead. Ten survived.
TransAsia said it respected the findings and issued a full apology.
The crash was the first of two fatal TranAsia incidents within the span of seven months.
The second crash, involving TransAsia flight 235, happened when the aircraft clipped a bridge in Taipei and came down in the Keelung River in February 2015, leaving 43 people dead.

'High-risk practices'

The pilots in control of flight 222 repeatedly ignored standard operating procedures, the report said.
"Flight crew coordination, communication, and threat and error management were less than effective," the report said.

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Image caption Thomas Wang, director of Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council, criticised the airline for failing to ensure passenger safety

In heavy rain and thunder, the pilots tried to locate the runway visually, but then "lost situational awareness".
The captain of the flight also failed to conduct a pre-landing briefing in accordance with standard operating procedures.
Both pilots and two cabin crew members were among the 48 dead. Of the 10 survivors, nine were left with serious injuries.
The report went on to say that failure to follow safety procedures was a recurring problem at TransAsia.
"The non-compliant behaviours were an enduring, systemic problem and formed a poor safety culture," the report said.
This led to a "workplace culture which endangered flight safety", ASC director Thomas Wang said.
The report advised TransAsia to hire more pilots to reduce workload and to invest in flight safety training.
The ASC issued its report after analysing data from the aircraft's flight data recorders.
TransAsia is a Taiwan-based carrier that operates domestically and on some international routes from Taiwan.
The carrier was also involved in deadly incidents in 1995 and 2002.
Credit Bbc.co.uk