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| Date: | Thursday 2 September 1999 |
| Time: | c. 11:48 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 747SP-09 |
| Owner/operator: | China Airlines |
| Registration: | B-18253 |
| MSN: | 22298/445 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 10 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport (TPE/RCTP) -
 Taiwan
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport (TPE/RCTP) |
| Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport (TPE/RCTP) | |
| Investigating agency: | ASC |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
China Airlines Flight DT2, a Boeing 747SP, B-18253, was involved in a runway excursion accident during routine training operations at Taipei Taoyuan. The aircraft struck a concrete manhole structure, suffering substantial damage to the fuselage and gear.
On 2 September 1999, a China Airlines Boeing 747SP (B-18253) Flight Dynasty Training 2 (DT2) departed Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (CKS Airport), Taoyuan, at 1006 hrs Taipei Time for a type check flight of two first officers undertaking transition training. CM1 (left seat), the examiner, who is a CAA Designated Examiner (DE), was the pilot-in-command. As dictated by the nature of the flight, no passengers or cargoes were on board except for five flight crew, one examiner, two first officers undertaking training, one line first officer and one flight engineer.
The crew had flown ten traffic patterns at CKS AIRPORT in according with Instrument Flight Rules
flight plan, and this training had proceeded smoothly. During the last final approach, the first officer (right seat) executed a full stop landing as required by the training program, and landed the aircraft at 1148:02. The examiner (left seat) called out “I HAVE CONTROL!” 8 seconds after touchdown, then took over the control with minimum auto brakes rolling, and activated reverse thrust for approximately 8 seconds. The flight engineer called out “80 KNOTS!” 23 seconds after touchdown. At 76.8 knots, the pilot-in-command attempted to depart the runway by steering left into Taxiway S5. The aircraft, however, failed to make the turn. The sound of vibration and collision with the
manhole was heard 3 seconds later, and the aircraft veered to the left onto the grass strip adjoining Runway 06 and Taxiway S5.
The nose gear struck the right side of the manhole, causing the right nose wheel tire to deflate. The left body gear then collided with a protruding concrete manhole approximately 10.8 meters from the left edge of the runway (excluding shoulder), snapping the front and rear axles of the left body gear
truck, separating #5 and #6 wheels, and damaging the belly’s skin and structure. The cowl of #1 engine also came into contact with the ground before the aircraft skidded another 220 meters.
The dark black nose gear track, as well as those lighter main gear tracks appeared on the runway surface approximately 200 meters to Taxiway S5. Visual meteorological conditions and a surface wind of 090°/16~26 knots were reported at the time of occurrence.
Findings:
The crew and flight operations:
1. Approximately 18 seconds after touchdown, the aircraft was veered to the left rapidly; the air speed at this instant was 76.8 Kts. The pilot-in-command chose manual brake prior to the steering and activated body gear steering.
2. After the landing, the deceleration operation till the excursion, the flight crew were CM1 (left seat), the pilot-in-command; CM2 (right seat), was the first officer; CM3, the flight engineer; CM4, the co-pilot. The pilot flying was CM1.
3. All the five crew members held valid civil transport pilot licenses. CM1, CM2, and CM4 are holding valid B747-200 ratings. The flight crew members were all in good physical and mental condition. Prior to the occurrence, the atmosphere in the cabin was fine, and crew coordination was normal.
4. The aircraft landing weight was approximately 364,000 pounds, and its’ center of gravity was 22.5% of the MAC. The landing weight of the occurrence was less than that of the schedule passenger flight, and landing center of gravity was a rear c.g. condition.
5. Visual meteorological conditions and a surface wind of 090°/16~26 knots were reported at the time of occurrence. The prevailing conditions had no evident effect on the landing roll operations.
The aircraft:
6. Inspection and testing after the occurrence showed that all the landing gears and tires were normal; the tire pressure of the different tires were normal, the steering of the nose-wheel and body gears were normal, and all components and brake functions of the wheels were normal.
7. The aircraft nose-wheel and main-wheel left tracks of uneven depth approximately 220 meters long on the runway ground surface near Taxiway S5. From the tracks on the ground surface, it was evident that the aircraft, while rolling at high speed, attempted to steer left using nose-wheel steering, and the nose-wheel steering angle was in excess of 54 degrees. The tracks left by the nose-wheel on the ground surface showed evidence of lateral slippage. After the aircraft deviated away from the runway, it collided with the manhole, rupturing the nose-wheel tire, snapping the left body gear, and damaging the aircraft’s belly skin and structure.
The airport facilities:
8. The CKS airport runway has a total of 227 concrete manholes, the location, structural design, and construction of which are not in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and domestic technical specifications. As a result, the landing gear came into collision when it deviated from the runway, leading to serious damages.
9. The transverse slope of the runway grass area close to the boundary between Runway 06 and Taxiway S5 was too steep, causing the outer casing of the aircraft’s outer left engine to come into contact with the ground surface when the aircraft deviated from the runway.
Probable Cause:
The probable causal factors are as follows: the pilot-in-command failed to select before touchdown a point to depart the runway based on the aircraft’s braking characteristics; reverse thrust, brakes and body gear steering were not applied at the desired speed; and the nose gear steering was applied before reaching the desired rolling speed.
In addition, the aircraft’s light weight and center of gravity which was toward the rear increased the aircraft’s pitch up tendency, causing the nose wheel to slip laterally despite the actuation of nose gear steering, and the aircraft veered off to the side of the runway onto the grass strip rather than turning into Taxiway S5.
The protruding manhole to the left of Runway 06 is an indirect cause of the occurrence. The location, structure and construction of the manhole fail to meet both domestic specifications, as well as those recommended by ICAO, causing serious damage to the deviated aircraft when its’ landing gear collided with the manhole.
Recommendations:
To China Airlines:
1. Should require flight crew to operate all aircrafts strictly accordance with flight manuals and relevant standard operating procedures;
2. Should stipulate the rolling speeds for various flight conditions in the Boeing 747 SP Flight Manual, so that flight crews can operate safely when taxing and rolling.
To the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications:
1. Should ensure that the location, design, construction and structure of all fixed structures (including concrete manholes) around the runway strips at the CKS airport are in compliance with international standards, so as to ensure the protection and safety of any deviated aircraft; (ASC-ASR-9909-03)
2. Should ensure that the transverse slopes of the runway strips at CKS are in compliance with specifications recommended by the ICAO, so as to protect the safety of any deviated aircraft. (ASC-ASR-9909-04)
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.ttsb.gov.tw/media/4511/dt2-747sp-final-report.pdf
https://www.airhistory.net/photo/521985/5Y-GFD (Photo)
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Sep-2025 21:23 | Justanormalperson | Added |
| 02-Sep-2025 21:24 | Justanormalperson | Updated [Accident report, ] |
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