On 29 March 2005, the Aviation Safety Council (ASC) of Taiwan notified the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) of an air safety occurrence involving a Taiwanese registered and operated Avions De Transport Regional, ATR72-212A aircraft on 25 December 2003, and requested technical expertise and assistance in reviewing the ASC draft report. The ATSB appointed an accredited representative to participate in the investigation into the occurrence, in accordance with clause 5.23 of Annex 131 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. To protect the information supplied by the ASC to the ATSB and investigative work undertaken to assist the ASC, the ATSB initiated an investigation under the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003. The report presented below was prepared principally from information supplied to the ATSB.
FACTUAL INFORMATION
On 25 December 2003, at about 0815 local time, the crew of a TransAsia Airways, Avions de Transport Regional, Model ATR72-212A, registered B-22805, observed an intermittent and brief illumination of a red warning light on the centralised crew alert system, while on final approach to land at Sungshan International Airport, Taipei, Taiwan. The crew were unable to identify the warning light. Subsequently, during the landing roll, the crew observed the number-1 engine fire warning light illuminate. The fire warning light was extinguished after the flight crew selected the fuel cut-off position with the number-1 fuel condition lever and pulled the fire extinguishing T-handle to discharge the fire bottle. During an after landing inspection of the number-1 engine, a perforation was observed on the top right side of the rear inlet case. There was fire soot around the rear inlet case and fire damage to electrical wires nearby.
The ASC is the independent Taiwan government entity responsible for no blame safety investigation of accidents and incidents in Taiwan. The Australian accredited representatives role in the investigation has been to provide the ASC with technical advice and comment on the draft ASC report.
The final report will be available from the ASC website www.asc.gov.tw on completion of the investigation.
1 Annex 13 Clause 5.23 Any State which on request provides information, facilities or experts to the State conducting the investigation shall be entitled to appoint an accredited representative to participate in the investigation.