A Safer Sky: An Examination of Factors Affecting Flight Safety in Taiwan

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

On April 26, 1994, China Airlines (CAL) Flight 140, service from Taipei, Taiwan to Nagoya, Japan, crashed near Nagoya International Airport while attempting an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 34. The fully loaded Airbus 300-622R stalled at an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet which resulted in a fiery crash that killed all 264 onboard (Sogame, Ladkin). This tragedy was not the first fatal crash to the Taiwanese carrier. In fact, CAL has suffered numerous fatal crashes since its establishment, and it has been rated as one of the most dangerous airlines in the world (Schultz). Many argued that the carrier's infamous safety record was a direct result of the culture barriers experienced by its flight crews. Most people agree that Chinese culture is dramatically different from most other cultures. Many researchers also believe that these cultural differences are the fundamental cause of the poor safety records in most Asian nations. The purpose of this research paper is to examine the characteristics of Chinese culture and its relationship with aviation human factors (AHF). This paper will also examine the possibility of adapting the concept of Crew Resource Management (CRM) to improve flight safety.

Author

• Lee, Ping I Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University