CAA to review Typhoon Kong-rey hard landing, overtime incidents

Taipei, Jan. 23 (CNA) A flight safety board will review hard landing and crew overtime incidents involving two Taiwanese carriers during Typhoon Kong-rey last October and decide if warnings or punitive actions are required, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said Thursday.

The CAA found that three incidents of hard landing and nine cases of flight crew working in excess of the legally permitted time require further review, after concluding an investigation into 503 flights operated during Typhoon Kong-rey on Oct. 30-31, it said in a statement released Thursday.

The three hard landing incidents involved a China Airlines flight at Taipei Songshan Airport and two Starlux Airlines flights -- one at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and the other at Kaohsiung International Airport, according to the CAA.

The aircraft in all three incidents were not damaged despite the windy weather that made it difficult to land the planes, the CAA said.

The flight crew in the three incidents operated within protocols set for the respective aircraft types, and the CAA has demanded the carriers enhance training in similar windy situations, it added.

The CAA found seven of the nine cases of flight crew working over the maximum 14 hours during the typhoon were caused by extraordinary circumstances beyond the carriers' control, according to the statement.

The other two cases both involved China Airlines, including one involving the crew on a diverted flight, who should have been replaced by their colleagues on the resumed service, the CAA said.

In a meeting with local carriers on Nov. 13 last year, the CAA asked them to improve measures planned for typhoons, especially crew dispatching that ensures safety and prevents excessive overtime.

The carriers have submitted plans to improve their operations, according to the CAA statement.

The CAA will issue warnings to carriers involved in the cases of crew working shifts exceeding 14 hours, while a flight safety board will decide whether China Airlines and Starlux Airlines should face further warnings or fines of between NT$600,000 (US$18,299) and $3 million for each of their violations of the Civil Aviation Act, the government agency said.