China Airlines flight avoids crash with mountain by 20 seconds | Taiwan News

Chang Chih-hao

Former pilot

To land on Runway 18, you have to first go straight forward toward the mountain, so there are indicators that allow you to make a visual approach. For example, you must turn around before reaching the highway and then continue to descend after lining up with the runway. But if you fly past the highway as you descend, the terrain begins to rise, because it's hilly in that area. That's a flight safety hazard. Busan airport is special in that you have to undergo special training to land a plane there.

In the end the plane landed without incident. China Airlines says the plane did a go-around on its first landing attempt, as it did not achieve the required stable conditions. It did not have any issues on the second attempt, making it to its destination safe and sound. The airline says it will offer extra training for specific airports such as Busan.