China Airlines Flight 676

China Airlines
Industry	Airline
Headquarters	Taoyuan, Taiwan
Products	Air transport services

China Airlines Flight 676 was an international passenger service that tragically crashed on 16 February 1998 close to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan. The Airbus A300 was operating a scheduled flight from Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, Indonesia, destined for Taipei, Taiwan.

Encountering adverse weather conditions characterized by rain and fog, the flight crew attempted a go-around after receiving clearance to land on runway 05L. Upon disengaging the autopilot, the pilots endeavored to manually execute the go-around; however, the aircraft decelerated, pitched upward sharply by 40°, stalled at approximately 1000 feet altitude, and subsequently crashed into a residential district, triggering a fire. All 196 individuals aboard lost their lives, including notable figures such as Sheu Yuan-dong, governor of Taiwan's central bank, along with three additional central bank employees. Furthermore, six fatalities occurred among people on the ground. This accident severely affected China Airlines’ safety image and prompted comprehensive operational evaluations.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Airbus A300B4-622R bearing the registration . Delivered to China Airlines on 14 December 1990, it was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney PW4156 engines. Its serial number was 578, with its maiden flight conducted on 16 October 1990. At the time of the incident, the airplane had been in service for 7.3 years and had logged a total of 20,193 flight hours.

Crew

Captain Kang Long-lin (康龍麟), aged 49, had been part of China Airlines since 1990 and accumulated 7,226 flight hours overall, including 2,382 hours on the Airbus A300. First Officer Jiang Der-sheng (姜德生), aged 44, joined in 1996 with a total of 3,550 flight hours and 304 hours specifically on the A300. Both pilots previously served in the Republic of China Air Force. Onboard were 182 passengers—comprising 175 Taiwanese citizens, five Americans, one French national, and one Indonesian—alongside a crew of 14.

Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Ground	Total
Taiwan	175	14	6	195
United States	5	0	0	5
France	1	0	0	1
Indonesia	1	0	0	1
Total	182	14	6	202

Accident

At 15:27 local time, the Airbus departed Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali carrying a total of 182 passengers and fourteen crew members toward Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taipei.

While conducting an ILS/DME approach to runway 05L amid light rain and foggy conditions, the aircraft was positioned approximately above the glide slope at an altitude of , and was situated short of the runway threshold by . After nineteen seconds of approach, go-around power was applied; subsequently, the landing gear was retracted and flaps adjusted to 20° as the plane ascended with a steep pitch angle near 35°.

At an altitude of , with a pitch angle reaching roughly 42.7° and airspeed of , the Airbus A300 entered a stall condition. The pilots lost control as it impacted terrain to the left side of the runway. The aircraft struck a utility pole and median barrier on Provincial Highway 15 before sliding into residential buildings surrounded by fish farms, rice fields, factories, and warehouses. The impact resulted in an explosion that claimed every life aboard along with six individuals on the ground.

Meteorological data at the time indicated visibility limited to , runway visual range measured at , broken cloud layers at , and an overcast ceiling at . Cockpit voice recordings captured the first officer’s final exclamation: "Pull it up, too low!" amidst audible terrain warnings and stall alerts.

Investigation and conclusion

At six nautical miles from the airport, the aircraft was flying more than 300 meters above its standard altitude during the final approach but proceeded with its descent regardless. The go-around maneuver was only initiated close to the runway threshold. The pilot inadvertently pushed the yoke forward and disengaged the autopilot without recognizing it, resulting in an 11-second period during which the aircraft was not under control while the pilot assumed the autopilot was handling the procedure.

Following an investigation lasting nearly two years, a Civil Aviation Administration task force determined that pilot error was the primary cause of Flight 676’s accident. The final report also highlighted deficiencies in China Airlines’ "training programs" and "ineffective management of cockpit resources."

In popular culture

This accident was depicted in season 24, episode 5 of the Canadian documentary series Mayday, under the title "Eleven Deadly Seconds."

External links