China Airlines Flight 204 (CI204/CAL204) was a Boeing 737-200 that crashed into a mountain after takeoff from Hualien Airport, Taiwan, on 26 October 1989. The crash killed all 54 passengers and crew on board the aircraft.
Aircraft The aircraft was a Boeing 737-209, MSN 23795, registered as B-180, that was manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 1986. It was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A engines."Aircraft accident Boeing 737-209 B-180 Hualien Airport (HUN)". Retrieved 3 June 2010.
Accident Flight 204 departed Hualien Airport on a short-haul domestic flight to Sungshan Airport on the island of Taiwan with 47 passengers and 7 crew members aboard. Ten minutes after takeoff, the plane collided with a mountain in the Chiashan range at an altitude of approximately , north of the airport. All 54 passengers and crew members were killed."Crashed 737 'turned wrong way'". Flight International, 4 November 1989, p. 8."Accident Details". planecrashinfo.com. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
Cause The major cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error, as the experienced pilot (15 years with China Airlines) and a novice copilot departed from the wrong runway, a mistake compounded by ground-control personnel who failed to spot the error. The aircraft then flew the climb-out procedure for the correct runway, and as a result, the aircraft made a left turn toward the mountains rather than a right turn toward the sea."CVR reveals pilot error". Flight International, 6–12 December 1989, p. 8.
See also Singapore Airlines Flight 006 Comair Flight 5191 Western Airlines Flight 2605
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