I’m guessing there was likely around 330-350 passengers onthis B777 300ER flight. As I listened to the ATC instructions (posted ATCaudio) and EVA15 crew responses and considering the flight path and altitude inheading into high terrain and even a potential conflict with ACA788, I thankedGod that somehow this snarl of poor interaction turned out OK for all of them. This couldeasily have turned out very bad.
Despite the back and forth snarled up communication going onbetween the ATC controller and EVA15, surely the EGPWS in that cockpit was screamingwarnings of closure on the high terrain, and assuming the FO’s-if the PNF- ND wason terrain mode (as would be normal) the impending CFIT issue should have beenclearly visible as well, requiring (their own) immediate evasive action asnecessary. IMO the ATC controller instructions were certainly not the most stellarperformance as well, and with unusual variance from more normal instruction protocol.