Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 747-2R7F/SCD, serial number 22390. It was built in September 1980 and first registered as LX-ECV for Cargolux. China Airlines acquired the aircraft in June 1985 and re-registered it as B-198. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 45,868 flight hours and 9,095 takeoff and landing cycles over 11 years and 3 months of service. The last A-check maintenance occurred on 21 December 1991, after which the aircraft had flown 74 hours.
Notably, this same aircraft was previously involved in the China Airlines Flight 334 hijacking on 3 May 1986, but was later restored to service.
Accident
On December 29, 1991, shortly after takeoff from Chiang Kai-shek International Airport near Taipei, Taiwan, the crew reported a problem with the number 3 engine while at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). Taipei air traffic control (ATC) instructed the flight to turn left to return to the airport. Approximately two minutes later, the crew reported they were unable to turn left, and ATC cleared a right-hand turn instead. This was the last radio contact with the crew.
The crew subsequently lost control of the aircraft. The aircraft struck a hill, right wing first, near Wanli, Taipei at approximately 3:05 p.m. local time, at an altitude of 700 feet (210 meters). All five crew members died in the crash. There were no injuries on the ground.
Investigation
The investigation determined that the number 3 engine and its pylon had separated from the aircraft and struck the number 4 engine, breaking it off the wing as well. Further examination revealed that the pylon midspar fittings, which attach the pylon to the lower portion of the wing front spar, had failed. The number 3 engine and pylon fell into the sea, and their recovery took several months.
Information from this crash, combined with the nearly identical crash of El Al Flight 1862 ten months later, prompted Boeing to order pylon modifications for every 747 in service.