In October 2002 while scouting out a location for the Hsinta shelter, Huang and Yeh Hung-hsien together with five contractors and a pilot and co-pilot from Shei-pa National Park took off from Taipei's Sungshan airport. Around 10 a.m. they were over Lake Hsinta.
二○○二年十月，為了探勘新達山屋的興建位置，黃兆應偕同葉宏賢、雪霸國家公園承辦人員，連同正副駕駛共九人，從台北松山機場起飛，早上十點左右抵達新達池上空。