The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB DCA02RA038 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Boeing 747-200 accident near Makung Island, Tw, May 25, 2002

On May 25, 2002 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Boeing 747-200 was involved in an accident near Makung Island. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 206 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
May 25, 2002 · about 3:30 pm local time
Place
Makung Island, Taiwan
Type
Accident
Injuries
206 people were killed.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Boeing 747-200 · all 747-200s on the register
Registration
not recorded
Damage
Not recorded
Flight
Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed
  • Operator: China Airlines LTD

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew19
Passengers187

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.