Investigation Summary
The accident occurred as the crew attempted a VOR approach to Runway 20 at Magong Airport during the aftermath of Typhoon Matmo. Although the airport's Runway 02 featured an Instrument Landing System (ILS), a strong tailwind forced the crew to use Runway 20, which only offered a non-precision VOR/DME approach. The Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) for this approach was 330 feet. Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) data revealed that the crew failed to perform required approach briefings or checklists. During the descent, the Captain intentionally ignored the MDA, setting the autopilot to 300 feet and then 200 feet while still in heavy rain and clouds. The First Officer failed to challenge these violations. At 19:05:44, the autopilot was disengaged, and the crew spent 13 seconds searching for the runway while the aircraft drifted left of the centerline and continued to descend. By the time the crew initiated a go-around at an altitude of just 72 feet, the aircraft was already striking trees. The ATR 72 traveled approximately 200 meters further before crashing into the residential area of Xixi Village.
Final Conclusions
The Taiwan Aviation Safety Council (ASC) concluded the accident was a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). The primary cause was the crew's intentional descent below the MDA without visual reference to the runway, compounded by a lack of situational awareness and poor Crew Resource Management (CRM). The ASC also identified a systemic 'operating culture' at TransAsia Airways where non-compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) was routine. Contributing factors included the severe weather generated by Typhoon Matmo, which reduced visibility to 500 meters (below the required 1,600 meters), and inadequate regulatory oversight by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA).
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
Did Pilots Intentionally Crash TransAsia Airways Flight 222? — Experts analyze the crash of TransAsia Airways Flight 222, exploring how pilot error and a typhoon led to the devastating impact in Xixi Village.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Lee Yi-liang, aged 60.
First Officer
Chiang Kuan-hsing, aged 39.
Systems & Failure Modes
VOR/DME Approach
A non-precision radio navigation approach that provides lateral guidance but no vertical glidepath, requiring pilots to manually manage descent and strictly adhere to a Minimum Descent Altitude.
Autopilot / Yaw Damper
The crew disengaged these systems at 19:05:44, after which the aircraft's pitch and heading deviated significantly as the pilots manually searched for the runway.
Interesting Facts
- 01The Captain had over 19,000 flight hours on the ATR 42/72 type.
- 02Visibility at the time of the crash was approximately 500 meters, far below the 1,600 meters required for the VOR approach.
- 03The aircraft struck trees 850 meters northeast of the runway threshold.
- 04Ten passengers survived the initial impact and post-crash fire, all sustaining serious injuries.
- 05The investigation found that the crew skipped both the approach briefing and the descent/approach checklist.
- 06Unlike TransAsia Flight 235, this accident did not involve an engine failure or the accidental shutdown of a working engine; it was a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT).
Safety Actions & Advisories
TransAsia SOP Revision
The airline increased domestic flight visibility requirements to 50% above published minimums and limited holding times to 30 minutes before mandatory diversion.
Victim Compensation
TransAsia Airways paid NT$14.9 million per victim, the highest rate in Taiwan since 2002.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Conflation with TransAsia Flight 235
Reference ↗Public and media reports frequently conflate GE222 with the subsequent crash of TransAsia Flight 235 in 2015. While GE222 was a CFIT accident involving intentional descent below minimums in a typhoon, GE235 involved an engine flameout followed by the crew accidentally shutting down the remaining functional engine. Some sources incorrectly attribute the 'wrong engine shutdown' cause to GE222.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the official investigation report.