What happened
On the evening of the accident, an aircraft operated by TransAsia was performing a regular public transport service under instrument flight rules (IFR) from Kaohsiung to the Penghu archipelago. While the crew was executing a VOR non-precision approach to runway 20 at Magong Airport, the aircraft struck the ground approximately 850 meters northeast of the runway threshold. Following the initial impact, the aircraft continued into a residential area on the outskirts of Xixi village, located roughly 200 meters southeast of the first impact site. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. While ten passengers survived the event, there were fatalities among those on board. Additionally, five residents on the ground suffered minor injuries.
Findings
Investigations determined that the accident was a case of controlled flight into terrain. The crew proceeded with the approach below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) despite lacking visual contact with the runway environment, which deviated from standard operating procedures. Several contributing factors were identified, including issues regarding the flight crew's performance and the safety management processes within TransAsia's flight operations. Furthermore, the investigation highlighted deficiencies in the communication of weather data to the crew, coordination challenges at the civil/military joint-use airport, and inadequate regulatory oversight of the airline by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).