What happened
On August 12, 2012, China Airlines flight CI 680, an Airbus A330-300 with registration B-18352, was operating a scheduled passenger service from Hong Kong International Airport to Taoyuan International Airport. The flight was carrying 293 passengers and 13 crew members.
During the approach, the flight crew encountered heavy rain, which caused visibility to drop significantly. At approximately 15:24 local time, the aircraft touched down on runway 23L. While the aircraft initially maintained the centerline, the flight path drifted to the right. During the landing roll, the aircraft deviated from the runway, striking two runway edge lights and encountering a concrete manhole structure on the runway strip. The crew eventually used the nose wheel steering and rudder to steer the aircraft back toward the runway before coming to a stop on taxiway S3. There were no fatalities or injuries among the 306 people on board, though the aircraft's lower fuselage sustained minor abrasions.
The investigation
The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) examined the flight data, cockpit voice recorder (CVR), and local weather conditions. The investigation focused on the crew's response to the sudden reduction in visibility and the aircraft's lateral deviation. The investigation also reviewed the runway infrastructure, specifically the presence of a concrete manhole on the runway strip and the lack of runway centerline lights on runway 23L.
Findings
- The flight crew failed to detect intermittent right-hand control inputs during the flare phase, which caused a right bank and a subsequent rightward drift from the centerline.
- After touchdown, the crew did not effectively use left rudder to correct the deviation or consider a rejected landing (go-around) as the aircraft continued to drift right.
- Heavy rain caused a sudden drop in visibility, complicating the crew's ability to maintain visual references.
- The runway 23L lacked centerline lights, which would have provided better visual guidance during the heavy rain.
- A concrete manhole structure located on the runway strip did not meet international standards for preventing aircraft wheels from striking hard vertical surfaces.