TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Officials said Taipei Songshan Airport has safety measures for runway overruns amid safety concerns following South Korea's deadly plane crash on Sunday.
A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 belly-landed at Muan International Airport, skidded into a wall, and burst into flames, killing all but two of the 181 passengers onboard. At the Legislative Yuan on Monday, DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) expressed concerns that at 2,600 meters, the Songshan Airport runway is 200 m shorter than Muan's, potentially increasing the odds of overruns, per CNA.
Lee pointed out that in 2004, a TransAsia Airways flight narrowly avoided overrunning the Songshan runway by just 15 m. In 2005, the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board recommended improvements, including installing Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS), to be inspected every two years.
Lin Shinn-der (林信德), chairman of the TTSB, replied that an EMAS was installed at the end of the runway in 2009. Lin said that, unlike ordinary concrete, the EMAS system absorbs an aircraft’s kinetic energy to decelerate the aircraft.
He added that previously, larger aircraft were not allowed to use Songshan Airport. However, after installing the EMAS system, Lin said larger aircraft can operate with a higher degree of safety.
Lin said the airport's perimeter fence was also modified to use crushable materials as part of the upgrade.
Lin suggested the Civil Aeronautics Administration study the Jeju Air accident as a case example when considering further safety improvements. He said that TTSB will collaborate with the US National Transportation Safety Board in researching domestic airports to identify risks of similar accidents.
Lin said a hydraulic system failure may have made the Jeju Air pilots unable to deploy the landing gear, and he pointed out that China Airlines operates 10 aircraft of the same model. Lin emphasized that airlines should strengthen regular testing and maintenance of aircraft landing gear.
