A single engine error led to a fatal pilot misdiagnosis

Cultures · Published 11 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In February 2015, a TransAsia Airways flight departed Taipei for Kinmen with 58 people on board. Just two minutes into the climb, a technical fault triggered a catastrophic chain of human error, turning a manageable engine issue into a fatal descent into the Keelung River.

A malfunction within the number-2 engine's autofeather unit, stemming from faulty soldering, precipitated the crash of the 10-month-old ATR 72-600. This malfunction caused the engine to enter an auto-feathering state, which the flight crew misdiagnosed. Instead of managing the single-engine failure, the pilots mistakenly shut down the still-functioning number-1 engine, leading to a total loss of thrust.

The aircraft's descent was marked by a sharp 90-degree left bank. As it flew low over the Huandong Viaduct, the left wingtip struck a Volkswagen Caddy taxi, causing minor injuries to two people, before the wing was torn off by the viaduct's guardrail. The aircraft then struck the Keelung River upside down, breaking into two main pieces. Of the 58 people on board, only 15 survived, including one flight attendant, Huang Ching-ya.

The investigation by the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board revealed significant failures in crew coordination and threat management. The pilot flying failed to respond to stall warnings and the stick pusher, and did not appropriately respond to inputs from the pilot monitoring. This tragedy was the second fatal ATR accident for TransAsia in seven months, following Flight 222 on 23 July 2014, which also carried 58 people and resulted in 48 deaths.

The aftermath saw TransAsia Airways face severe scrutiny. The airline was fined NT$3,000,000 (approximately US$92,000) for attempting to influence the investigation by leaking confidential draft reports. Following the loss of public trust and its weakened image, TransAsia Airways ceased operations indefinitely on 22 November 2016.

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