Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 104
Encyclopedia
On 24 February 1969, Far Eastern Air Transport
Flight 104, a short-haul flight from from Kaohsiung International Airport
to Taipei Songshan Airport
, Taiwan
, was flown by a Handley Page Dart Herald
with 32 passengers and 4 crew on board. Ten minutes after take-off, the aircraft's port-side engine failed, leaving its propellor windmilling and the aircraft in a shallow descent. The flightcrew decided to diverted to Tainan Airport
in Tainan City. Moments after receiving clearance
for an emergency landing, however, the aircraft passed over a wooded area, belly-landed
in a small clearing and skidded into a creek. The aircraft broke into three parts and caught fire, killing all on board.
Far Eastern Air Transport
Far Eastern Air Transport is an airline based in Taipei, Taiwan. Established in 1957, it operated domestic services from Taipei and Kaohsiung to five regional cities and international services to Southeast Asia, South Korea and Palau. Its main base was Taipei Songshan Airport...
Flight 104, a short-haul flight from from Kaohsiung International Airport
Kaohsiung International Airport
Kaohsiung International Airport , also known as Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport for the Siaogang District where it is located, is a medium-sized commercial airport located in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan...
to Taipei Songshan Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport or Taipei Sungshan Airport is a midsize commercial airport and military airbase located in Songshan, Taipei, Taiwan...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, was flown by a Handley Page Dart Herald
Handley Page Dart Herald
The Handley Page Dart Herald was a 1950s British turboprop passenger aircraft.-Design and development:In the mid 1950s the Handley Page Aircraft Company developed a new fast short-range regional airliner, intended to replace the venerable Douglas DC-3, particularly in third-world countries...
with 32 passengers and 4 crew on board. Ten minutes after take-off, the aircraft's port-side engine failed, leaving its propellor windmilling and the aircraft in a shallow descent. The flightcrew decided to diverted to Tainan Airport
Tainan Airport
Tainan Airport is a commercial airport located in South District, Tainan City, Taiwan. It is shared with Republic of China Air Force Tainan AFB. In January 2011, the Civil Aeronautics Administration approved the airport to handle international flights in the future.It is the third busiest...
in Tainan City. Moments after receiving clearance
Clearance
A clearance can refer to:* in chess, A positional move, where a player moves a piece occupying a certain square away, replacing it with an allied piece that will strengthen the player's position....
for an emergency landing, however, the aircraft passed over a wooded area, belly-landed
Belly landing
A belly landing or gear-up landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended and uses its underside, or belly, as its primary landing device...
in a small clearing and skidded into a creek. The aircraft broke into three parts and caught fire, killing all on board.