Thai Airways International Flight 601 Water Landing Near Hong Kong (HS-TGI)

Flight Details and Approach Conditions Thai Airways International Flight 601 was a scheduled passenger service operating from Taipei International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport. The flight departed Taipei at 0540 hours with an estimated enroute time of 1 hour 27 minutes and an endurance of 4 hours 19 minutes. It was conducted at flight level 260 and was otherwise normal, although passenger seat belts remained fastened for most of the flight due to turbulence expected from a severe tropical storm. No significant turbulence was encountered. At 0638 hours, approximately 170 miles from Hong Kong, the flight contacted Hong Kong airways control and received clearance to descend to flight level 70. At 0658 hours, it contacted Hong Kong approach control, which later cleared the aircraft to descend to 2,500 feet using an altimeter setting of 999 mb. The controller advised that a heavy rain shower was present at Hong Kong and visibility was very reduced to 2 km. The co-pilot flew the aircraft manually from the right-hand seat while the captain monitored the approach from the left-hand seat and handled radio communications. A third pilot, acting as system operator, also monitored the flight instruments. The approach controller provided radar guidance to position the aircraft for an ILS approach to runway 31 and, when the aircraft was about 8 miles from touchdown, cleared the pilots to contact the precision approach radar (PAR) controller. The PAR controller cleared the aircraft to continue the ILS approach, reported heavy rain at the field, and provided the overshoot procedure should it become necessary. ## Deviation and Impact The aircraft remained within the approach safety funnel—2° either side of the localizer centerline and 1/2° above or below the glide slope—until 3 miles from touchdown. The PAR controller provided weather information, overshoot instructions, and distance advisories. At the 3-mile advisory, the controller noted the aircraft was slightly to the right; this appeared to be corrected as the aircraft returned to the centerline. At about 2 3/4 miles, the aircraft briefly descended below the glide slope safety funnel but returned toward the glide slope before the controller issued an advisory. At 1 1/2 miles, the aircraft was again slightly right of centerline, and heavy rain began to obscure PAR reception, first in elevation and then, shortly after one mile, in azimuth. Flight recorder and radio transcript correlation indicated that approximately 2 seconds after the 1 1/2-mile advisory, the co-pilot made a 14° left turn. Eight seconds later, the PAR controller advised the aircraft was returning to the centerline, and the co-pilot began a right turn of similar magnitude. Five seconds later, the PAR controller issued the 1-mile advisory and reported the aircraft was going left of center, after which the aircraft increased its rate of turn to the right. Upon hearing the 1-mile advisory, the captain reinforced it by telling the co-pilot to move to the right. A moment later, while looking across the cockpit, the captain saw the sea about 100 feet below through the co-pilot’s side window. The captain immediately attempted a pull-up, but the aircraft struck the water surface, bounced slightly, and settled about 3,925 feet before the ILS reference point of runway 31 and about 100 feet left of the ILS centerline. ## Damage and Casualties Survivors reported that the impact was not significantly greater than a heavy landing. The starboard wing and undercarriage broke away, with the undercarriage ripping open the underside of the fuselage. The rear end of the fuselage also broke open. The aircraft sank rapidly. Fourteen passengers did not escape the fuselage and drowned. Six people were dead on arrival at hospital, and four were missing and later found drowned. The remaining passengers and crew were rescued by nearby surface vessels and a helicopter.