Originally Posted by
Uplinker
EVA015 were given a heading of 180 degrees. The actual turn direction might have been wrong or odd or whatever, but they :
a) failed to query the turn direction, and;
b) failed to turn onto the heading they were given.
You have been repeating the same of line of argument in this thread. FAA spokesman has said the controller meant to say "right" but said "left."
We could hear the EVA crew read back the first "left turn" instruction, and the controller did not correct. So what do you think the EVA pilot should do at this point? Steer left or right or keep chatting on the radio?
Additional tracking data have shown that EVA had initiated turns as instructed, but appeared to have repeatedly been given new directions to turn the opposite way before the current turn was completed.
Towards the end, the controller stopped giving turn directions all together. But, like others have pointed out, after having been given repeated, emphatic instructions for turn direction, the EVA crew could assume by this point that somehow for reasons beyond them that the turn direction was important. Hence the delay to commence the turn to southbound.
If the compass really malfunctioned, how did the flight complete the trip to TPE later?