It was powered by four Pratt & Whitney PW4056 turbofan engines and had only logged 1,969 flight hours in 359 takeoff and landing cycles at the time of the accident.

[3]: 8–9 A British Airways pilot had refused to make the approach to Kai Tak runway 13 minutes before the CAL 605 captain decided to attempt it.

The auto-brakes were set at only the number two level and then were turned off seconds after touchdown due to the increase in power.

That action caused a "ground loop", making the plane slide off the left side of the runway into Victoria Harbour.

Communication was hindered as the PA system was damaged and not functional; additionally, megaphones were not used.

Crew members ensured that all passengers donned life jackets, and after permission from the captain, evacuated out of eight of the ten main deck emergency exits.

The passenger cabin remained completely above water during the evacuation, although eventually sinking tail-first.

This resulted the passenger in 54K being seriously injured, with a dislocated left shoulder and subsequent hospitalisation (for five days).

The investigation indicated that the accident was caused by the captain's failure to initiate the mandatory missed approach procedure when he observed the severe airspeed fluctuations, combined with the wind shear and glide slope deviation alerts.

China Airlines was also criticized for not having a clear crosswind landing procedure in their manuals to aid pilots.