DEVELOPING: TransAsia Flight 222 Crashes

TransAsia Airways flight 222 crashed during an emergency landing in at Magong Airport on Penghu Island in Taiwan on Wednesday, killing dozens.

Exactly how many perished was not clear, with government officials quoting between 47 and 51 dead. What is clear is that the flight crashed on final approach with 58 aboard; 54 passengers and 4 crew.

The flight departed Kaohsiung International Airport on Wednesday for Magong Airport. The flight was operated by an ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft. It wound up crashing roughly one mile from the airport into a pair of unoccupied homes during stormy weather.

While an investigation is underway, much attention is being paid to the decision to launch the flight into poor weather. The area has been hit hard by Typhoon Matmo, which continues to move north of Taiwan.

Magong Airport has one runway, 02/20, with a length of 9,843 feet. It is equipped with ILS, VOR, RNAV, and NDB. There are reportedly no hills or tall buildings on the approach.

According to CCTV, the first approach was waived off while the pilot attempted to land on the second attempt.