31 Years ago today: On 26 October 1989 a China Airlines Boeing 737 flew into the side of a mountain when the crew used the wrong climbout procedure from Hualien, Taiwan, all 54 occupants were killed.
| Date: | Thursday 26 October 1989 |
| Time: | 18:55 |
| Type: | Boeing 737-209 |
| Operator: | China Airlines |
| Registration: | B-180 |
| C/n / msn: | 23795/1319 |
| First flight: | 1986-12-03 (2 years 11 months) |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 47 / Occupants: 47 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 54 / Occupants: 54 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 5,5 km (3.4 mls) N of Hualien Airport (HUN) ( |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Hualien Airport (HUN/RCYU), Taiwan |
| Destination airport: | Taipei-Chiang Kai Shek International Airport (TPE/RCTP), Taiwan |
| Flightnumber: | CI204 |
Narrative:
China Airlines Flight 204 collided with a mountain in the Chiashan mountain range at an elevation of 7000 feet, 3 minutes after takeoff.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: The crew used the climbout procedure of the wrong runway, causing the aircraft to make a left instead of right turn.
