What happened
On September 2, 2005, an EVA Airways MD-90, registration B-17922, was operating flight B7 660 from Magong Airport (RCQC) to Kaohsiung International Airport (RCKH). During a visual approach to runway 27, the flight crew initiated a go-around. Following the missed approach, the aircraft landed and taxied to the apron. During the post-landing inspection, the crew discovered damage to the left wingtip, including damage to the left landing and position lights, caused by contact with the runway surface.
There were 23 occupants on board, including two pilots, four cabin crew members, and 17 passengers; there were no injuries resulting from the incident.
The investigation
The Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) conducted an investigation into the sequence of events and the aircraft's flight path. The investigation examined flight data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Quick Access Recorder (QAR), as well as Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) audio. The investigation also reviewed the flight crew's training records, the aircraft's maintenance history, and the weather conditions at the time of the incident. The inquiry also looked into the handling of flight recorder data by maintenance personnel following the event.
Findings
- The flight crew's transition from the descent phase to the level flight phase during the go-around was not sufficiently smooth.
- During the level flight phase, the aircraft encountered changes in wind direction and speed.
- The crew failed to provide sufficient lateral control via aileron input to compensate for these changes, resulting in excessive left bank angle.
- At a radio altitude of 6 feet, the left wingtip struck the runway.
- The aircraft had transitioned from a three-leg to a four-leg approach early, which shortened the final approach path and necessitated a higher descent rate that exceeded manual recommendations.
- Following the incident, the crew and maintenance personnel failed to follow proper procedures for preserving CVR data, including an accidental erasure of audio and a delay in disconnecting the power supply to the recorders.