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.
![Washington, United States: A United Airlines flight bound for Guatemala City made an emergency diversion to Washington Dulles International Airport after a passenger allegedly attempted to open a cabin door at cruising altitude and assaulted another traveler, according to air traffic control communications and federal authorities. The incident involved United Airlines Flight 1551, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which departed from Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday evening carrying 145 passengers and six crew members. The aircraft had been en route to Guatemala City when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. According to audio between the flight crew and air traffic controllers, the pilot informed controllers that the disruptive passenger attempted to open Door 2L while the aircraft was cruising at approximately 36,000 feet. The pilot also reported that the passenger later assaulted another individual onboard. During the exchange, the tower asked the crew which door the passenger had attempted to access. The pilot responded: “Door 2L at 36,000 feet and then [the passenger] assaulted a fellow passenger.” When controllers asked whether there were any injuries onboard, the pilot replied: “Not to our knowledge.” The aircraft landed safely at Washington Dulles at approximately 8:38 p.m. local time. Law enforcement and emergency personnel met the aircraft upon arrival. The FBI later confirmed that agents responded to the incident at the airport, although the agency did not immediately release additional details regarding the passenger’s identity, possible charges, or whether the individual was taken into federal custody. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft remained airborne for a period before diverting toward the Washington region instead of continuing south toward Guatemala. The diversion temporarily disrupted the scheduled international service but no injuries among passengers or crew were officially reported. United Airlines had not issued a detailed public statement at the time of publication regarding the circumstances surrounding the diversion or the status of the passenger involved. Federal authorities are expected to review crew reports, passenger statements, and onboard evidence as part of the investigation.](https://aviationtoday.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVIATION-TODAY-UNITEDV-AIRLINES-RUDE-PASSENGER-768x432.jpg)
![Washington, United States: A United Airlines flight bound for Guatemala City made an emergency diversion to Washington Dulles International Airport after a passenger allegedly attempted to open a cabin door at cruising altitude and assaulted another traveler, according to air traffic control communications and federal authorities. The incident involved United Airlines Flight 1551, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which departed from Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday evening carrying 145 passengers and six crew members. The aircraft had been en route to Guatemala City when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. According to audio between the flight crew and air traffic controllers, the pilot informed controllers that the disruptive passenger attempted to open Door 2L while the aircraft was cruising at approximately 36,000 feet. The pilot also reported that the passenger later assaulted another individual onboard. During the exchange, the tower asked the crew which door the passenger had attempted to access. The pilot responded: “Door 2L at 36,000 feet and then [the passenger] assaulted a fellow passenger.” When controllers asked whether there were any injuries onboard, the pilot replied: “Not to our knowledge.” The aircraft landed safely at Washington Dulles at approximately 8:38 p.m. local time. Law enforcement and emergency personnel met the aircraft upon arrival. The FBI later confirmed that agents responded to the incident at the airport, although the agency did not immediately release additional details regarding the passenger’s identity, possible charges, or whether the individual was taken into federal custody. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft remained airborne for a period before diverting toward the Washington region instead of continuing south toward Guatemala. The diversion temporarily disrupted the scheduled international service but no injuries among passengers or crew were officially reported. United Airlines had not issued a detailed public statement at the time of publication regarding the circumstances surrounding the diversion or the status of the passenger involved. Federal authorities are expected to review crew reports, passenger statements, and onboard evidence as part of the investigation.](https://aviationtoday.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVIATION-TODAY-UNITEDV-AIRLINES-RUDE-PASSENGER-300x169.jpg)
