Kawasaki BK117-B2 accident near Tatacka, Tw, October 16, 2013
On October 16, 2013 at about 12:09 pm local time, a Kawasaki BK117-B2 (helicopter), registered FOREIGN, was destroyed in an accident during landing near Tatacka. It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 3 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 2013 · about 12:09 pm local time
- Place
- Tatacka, Taiwan
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Kawasaki BK117-B2 B2
- Registration
- FOREIGN · no longer on the register · serial 1059
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 16, 2013, about 1209 Coordinated Universal Time, a Kawasaki BK-117 helicopter, Taiwan Island registration number B-77009, operated by Sunrise Airlines, was destroyed following a loss of control while landing near Yushan N. Peak Weather Staion, Taiwan Island. Both crew members and one passenger received fatal injuries. The AVIATION SAFETY COUNCIL, Taiwan is investigating the accident. As the state of manufacture of the helicopter engines, the NTSB has designated a U.S. Accredited Representative under the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on Civil Aviation to assist Aviation Safety Council (ASC) in their investigation. All inquiries concerning this accident should be directed to ASC at: Aviation Safety Council, Taiwan 11th Floor, 200, Section 3, Beixin Road, Xindian District New Taipei City 231, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Tel: 886-1-89127388 Fax: 886-2-8912-7399
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Sunrise Airlines
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.