Flight History
On 2 September 1999, a Boeing 747SP operated by China Airlines as Dynasty Training Two (DT-2) was conducting a type check flight for two first officers undergoing transition training. The aircraft landed on Runway 06 at Taoyuan Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (CKS Airport). During the landing roll, with half of the runway remaining, the pilot-in-command attempted to depart the runway by steering left into Taxiway S5 at a speed of 76.8 knots. The aircraft failed to make the turn.
Damage
The left body gear and nose gear collided with a protruding concrete manhole approximately 11 meters from the edge of the runway on the grass strip adjacent to Taxiway S5. The collision snapped the front and rear axles of the left body gear truck, separated the #5 and #6 wheels, and damaged the belly’s skin and structure. The #1 engine contacted the ground. The manhole was found to be non-compliant with domestic specifications and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommendations regarding its location, structure, and construction.
Probable Cause
The investigation identified the following probable causal factors:
- The pilot-in-command failed to select before touchdown a point to depart the runway based on the aircraft’s braking characteristics.
- Reverse thrust, brakes, and body gear steering were not applied at a desired speed.
- Nose gear steering was applied before reaching a desired rolling speed.
- Light weight and an aft center of gravity increased the aircraft’s tendency to pitch up, causing the nose wheel to slip laterally despite actuation of nose gear steering.
- The aircraft veered to the side of the runway onto the grass strip rather than turning into Taxiway S5.
The protruding manhole was cited as an indirect cause due to its non-compliant location and design, which resulted in serious damage upon collision.
Safety Recommendations
Recommendations were made to China Airlines to enforce strict adherence to flight manuals and standard operating procedures, and to establish rolling speeds for various flight conditions in the Boeing 747SP Flight Manual. Recommendations to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) included examining all fixed structures around runway strips at CKS Airport for compliance with international standards and assessing the transverse slopes of runway strips.