Taoyuan City, Taiwan: Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) has launched an investigation into two EVA Air flight crews after they issued Mayday distress calls while approaching Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport earlier this month.
The incident occurred on February 8 when a T’way Air Boeing 737-800 arriving from Jeju Island suffered a right main landing gear detachment upon landing at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, prompting authorities to temporarily close the airport’s north runway. The shutdown led to airspace congestion during peak evening traffic, forcing several inbound aircraft into extended holding patterns.
Among the affected flights were EVA Air services BR392 and BR007, along with Hong Kong Airlines flight HX260. As fuel levels dropped while circling, all three flight crews declared “Mayday,” signaling a fuel emergency and requesting landing priority. All three aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported.
The CAA confirmed it is reviewing whether the Mayday declarations met established aviation safety criteria or were made prematurely. Under international procedures, pilots may declare a fuel emergency if remaining fuel is projected to fall below final reserve levels, but regulators are assessing whether the situation met that threshold.
In addition to examining cockpit communications and fuel calculations, authorities are investigating compliance with Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Act, which requires airlines to preserve cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) data following an emergency declaration. Initial findings indicate that required data preservation procedures may not have been fully followed in the EVA Air cases.
Officials have interviewed the involved pilots and are analyzing air traffic control recordings and flight tracking information as part of the ongoing inquiry. The CAA said any violations could result in administrative penalties or corrective actions.
The runway disruption occurred during a high-traffic period ahead of Lunar New Year travel, intensifying pressure on airport operations.
The CAA has advised airlines operating at Taoyuan to review fuel planning, contingency procedures and emergency communication protocols to ensure full compliance with safety standards.
EVA Air has not publicly commented in detail on the investigation but confirmed that the flights landed safely and that it is cooperating with authorities.
