What happened
On August 30, 2012, a BN-2B-26 operated by RAC, under contract for Real World Engineering Consultants Inc., departed from Songshan Airport to perform aerial photogrammetry. The flight crew, consisting of a captain, a first officer, and an aerial photographer, initially requested an instrument departure with plans to fly under visual flight rules over the Hualien and Taitung regions before landing at Taitung Airport.
Shortly after takeoff at 07:26, the crew transitioned from instrument flight rules to visual flight rules. During the mission, the aircraft navigated through various photography zones in Hualien County, maintaining altitudes between 8,300 and 8,500 feet. During the flight, Taipei Approach notified the crew that radar coverage was unavailable and instructed them to maintain visual flight. Between 07:55 and 09:13, the aircraft experienced approximately seven instances of communication interference or blockage with Taipei Approach.
Contact with Kaohsiung Approach Control was established at 09:13:39, but the aircraft went silent 41 seconds later. Data from a LIDAR device indicated the aircraft was maneuvering near the mountains west of Yuli at an altitude of approximately 9,572 feet. At 09:40, emergency locator transmitter signals were detected by the Taipei Mission Control Center. Following a period of verification, authorities confirmed the aircraft was missing. On September 1, 2012, search teams located the wreckage in a forest near Jhuosi, Hualien County, at an altitude of roughly 9,568 feet. The crash resulted in 3 fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- The flight crew experienced frequent communication blockages with air traffic control during the mission.
- Radar coverage was unavailable for the aircraft during certain segments of the flight.