What happened
On April 26, 1994, China Airlines Flight 140, an Boeing 747 registered as B-1816, was conducting a scheduled flight from Taipei International Airport to Nagoya Airport. The aircraft was carrying 271 people, including 256 passengers and 15 crew members. After cruising at FL330, the aircraft began its descent toward Nagoya under IFR flight rules.
During the final approach to Runway 34, the flight officer accidentally activated the go-around lever while the aircraft was at approximately 1,070 feet. This action transitioned the aircraft into a go-around mode, causing an unintended increase in thrust. Although the captain instructed the flight officer to disengage the lever and attempted to correct the descent path, the aircraft remained in the go-around mode. During this period, both autopilots were engaged without explicit communication between the crew members.
As the approach continued, the trimmable horizontal stabilizer (THS) moved toward its maximum nose-up limit. The crew struggled to maintain control, with the captain eventually taking over the controls as thrust levels fluctuated significantly. At approximately 11:15 UTC, the thrust levers moved forward again, causing the aircraft to enter a steep climb. This maneuver led to a sharp increase in the angle of attack and a rapid decrease in airspeed.
Following a glide slope warning and a stall warning, the aircraft's nose dropped, and it entered a dive. The ground proximity warning system issued a terrain alert shortly before the aircraft struck the ground near the El taxiway, approximately 110 meters east-northeast of the Runway 34 threshold. The accident resulted in 264 fatalities and 7 serious injuries.
Findings
- The flight officer inadvertently triggered the go-around lever during the approach phase.
- The unintended activation of the go-around mode led to thrust increases and subsequent flight path instability.
- The trimmable horizontal stabilizer moved toward its maximum nose-up limit, complicating manual control efforts.