Typhoon Disrupts Media Flight During Han Kuang Exercise, Forcing Double Go-Around

A media transport flight during Taiwan's Han Kuang 42 military exercise faced significant challenges landing at Taipei Songshan Airport due to the outer bands of Typhoon Bailu. One of the C-130 transport aircraft carrying journalists experienced turbulence and was forced to circle for nearly an hour before successfully landing.

The military had invited domestic and international media to cover the exercise, which included observing air force and navy drills. After concluding their coverage at air force and naval bases, the media delegation was scheduled to return to Taipei. However, adverse weather conditions, influenced by the typhoon, created unstable air currents, causing the aircraft to bump significantly.

While the first C-130 managed a precarious landing at 1:39 PM, Songshan Airport was forced to close just seven minutes later due to heavy winds and rain. The second C-130, attempting to land, had to perform two go-arounds before finally returning to the ground at approximately 2:30 PM. The crew considered diverting to Hsinchu Air Base before successfully landing back in Taipei.

The incident highlighted the unpredictable weather conditions impacting the region. Despite the flight disruptions, the media successfully concluded their coverage of the Han Kuang 42 exercise, which involved observing various military readiness drills and presidential inspections.