Typhoon Xangsane has wreaked havoc on Taiwan, bringing heavy downpours and flooding low-lying areas across the country. Dozens of deaths have been reported from mudslides in mountainous areas and flooding. But the most shocking news was the Singa-pore Airlines plane crash at CKS airport late Tuesday night that killed at least 80 out of the 179 passengers and crew aboard the plane (as of press time).
Singapore Airlines has always maintained an outstanding flight safety record in its 28-year history -- with only one major accident involving a commercial flight, the crash of an airplane belonging to its subsidiary Silkair, in Indonesia in December 1997. Taiwan, however, does not have a good track record in this regard. As a result, Tuesday's crash has brought tremendous pressure to bear on our flight safety system, amid fears that Taiwan's safety record will suffer another setback if the accident is proven to have been caused by an error in the CKS control tower.
Both the Civil Aeronautics Administration and the airline are investigating the cause of the accident. According to the pilot's report to his company, flight SQ006 hit an unknown object on the runway. Other possible causes of the crash include a strong wind shear caused by the typhoon that could have caused the plane to deviate from its flight path, flip over and explode; poor visibility that may have caused the plane to deviate from its assigned runway; or even pilot error. There is speculation that the pilot may have taken the wrong runway, 05 Right, which was closed for construction, and possibly hit construction machinery scattered on the runway.
Bad weather may also have played an important role in the accident.
A take-off in bad weather is always a major challenge for pilots. On Aug. 23, 1999, a China Airlines plane crashed while landing at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport while Typhoon Sam was passing through the territory. The plane skidded off the runway, leaving two people dead and 212 injured.
The Singapore Airlines plane crashed at a time when Taiwan's weather was in a Level Two Typhoon state. The plane took off under very unfavorable circumstances -- strong winds, heavy rain, poor visibility. The Civil Aeronautics Administration has said that the weather conditions at the time were within the standards for the control tower to permit take-offs and landings. At such a time the airport remains open, but the final decision on whether or not to fly is taken by the individual airlines. Many airline companies had cancelled flights, both domestic and international, on Tuesday night, but others decided to stay on schedule. Under these circumstances, we cannot blame Singapore Airlines for a decision to take off.
It is difficult to determine at this point whether bad weather played a decisive role in the accident, but it will be necessary for the Civil Aeronautics Administration to review the standards for take-offs and landings. Whether an engine malfunction caused by heavy rains, human error, wind shear, or poor visibility, the slightest deviation cannot be allowed in the interest of flight safety. One accident can ruin the best flight safety record in the world.
Given the risks of flying during a typhoon, it may sometimes be far better to sacrifice passengers' convenience for the sake of their own safety. The Singapore Airlines accident has sounded alarm bells across Taiwan's flight safety system -- a warning that has cost dozens of lives. How can we not pay attention?
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