Crash of an Antonov AN-24 in Shanghai: 40 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
B-492
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Guangzhou – Changsha – Hangzhou – Shanghai
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
36
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
40
Circumstances:
While descending to Shanghai-Hongqiao Airport, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances few km from the airfield. All 40 occupants were killed.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-14 in Guiyang

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
644
Survivors:
No
Site:
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
29
Circumstances:
While approaching Guiyang Airport, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain. All 29 occupants have been killed.

Crash of a Boeing 707-340C in Ürümqi

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AP-AVZ
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Karachi - Ürümqi
MSN:
20487/847
YOM:
1971
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The descent to Ürümqi-Diwopu Airport was initiated in poor weather conditions due to snow falls. On final, the crew was too high on the glide, causing the plane to land too far down the runway. After touchdown, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest few dozen yards farther. All five crew members were slightly injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who attempted to land while the aircraft was too high on the glide. As the approach configuration was non compliant, the crew should initiate a go-around manoeuvre.

Crash of a Convair CV-880-22M-3 in Hong Kong: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1967 at 1035 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VR-HFX
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hong Kong - Saigon - Bangkok
MSN:
22-00-37M
YOM:
1963
Flight number:
CX033
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
116
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
7031
Captain / Total hours on type:
1320.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6812
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1107
Aircraft flight hours:
11369
Circumstances:
Flight CX033 was a scheduled flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok with an additional en-route stop at Saigon to transport a backlog of passengers. A Check captain joined the flight. The co-pilot was flying the aircraft from the left-hand seat whilst the pilot-in-command occupied the right-hand seat to assess his performance. The Check captain occupied the jump seat behind the co-pilot from where he could monitor the performance of both pilots. At 10:31 the aircraft commenced to taxi out for takeoff on runway 13. A wind check of 010/10 kt was passed by the tower and acknowledged by the aircraft when the takeoff clearance was given. At 10:34 a rolling takeoff was commenced. The co-pilot, who was piloting the aircraft, increased the power to 1.5 EPR after which the engineer set the engines at maximum power. The aircraft accelerated normally but at a speed of slightly under 120 kt (as reported by the co-pilot) heavy vibration was experienced. The vibration increased in severity and the co-pilot decided to discontinue the takeoff. He called "abort", closed the power levers, applied maximum symmetrical braking and selected the spoilers. The abort action was stated to have been taken promptly except that there was a delay of 4-5 sec in applying reverse thrust which was then used at full power throughout the remainder of the aircraft's travel. No significant decrease in the rate of acceleration occurred until after an indicated airspeed of 133 kt had been attained, there was then a slow build-up of speed to 137 kt over the next 2 sec after which deceleration commenced. Both pilots were applying full brakes but neither of them felt the antiskid cycling. The aircraft continued to run straight some distance after initial braking was applied but then a veer to the right commenced. Opposite rudder was used but failed to check this forcing the use of differential braking to the extent that eventually the right brake had been eased off completely, whilst maximum left braking, full left rudder, full lateral control to the left, and nose-wheel steering were being applied, These actions were only partly effective and the aircraft eventually left the runway and entered the grass strip. The turn to the right continued until finally the aircraft crossed the seawall. All four engines separated on impact with, the sea, the nose of the aircraft was smashed in and the fuselage above floor level between the flight deck and the leading edge of the wing was fractured in two places. The aircraft spun to the right and came to rest some 400 ft from the seawall. A passenger was killed while 33 other were injured.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the accident was:
- Loss of directional control developing from separation of the right nose-wheel tread,
- Inability to stop within the normally adequate runway distance available due to use of differential braking, impaired performance and an increase in tailwind component and aircraft weight over those used in calculating the aircraft's accelerate/stop performance.
Final Report:

Crash of a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III in Hong Kong: 24 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1967 at 1610 LT
Operator:
Registration:
HS-TGI
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tokyo – Taipei – Hong Kong – Bangkok
MSN:
25
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
TG601
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
73
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
24
Captain / Total flying hours:
7800
Captain / Total hours on type:
3700.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
18400
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2300
Aircraft flight hours:
17350
Circumstances:
Thai Airways International Flight 601, a scheduled passenger service from Taipei International Airport, Formosa, to Hong Kong International Airport, departed from Taipei at 0540 hours with an estimated enroute time of 1 hour 27 minutes, and an endurance of 4 hours 19 minutes. The flight was made at flight level 260 and was entirely normal except that, because of turbulence expected from a severe tropical storm, the passenger seat belts were on for the majority of the flight. No turbulence of any importance was in fact experienced. At 0638 hours, when approximately 170 miles from Hong Kong, Flight 601 made contact with Hong Kong airways control and received clearance to descend to flight level 70. At 0658 hours they contacted Hong Kong approach control, which later cleared them to descend to 2 500 feet using an altimeter setting (QNH) of 999 mb, and informed them that there was a heavy rain shower at Hong Kong and that the visibility was very reduced to 2 km. The co-pilot flew the aircraft manually from the right-hand seat, whilst the Captain monitored the approach from the left hand seat and handled the R/T communications, the third pilot, who was acting as the system operator, also monitored the flight instruments. Rhe approach controller provided radar guidance to position the aircraft for an ILS approach to runway 31 and when it was at about 8 miles from touchdown, cleared the pilots to contact the precision controller. This controller cleared them to continue their ILS approach, informed them that there was heavy rain at the field and told them the overshoot procedure to be adopted should this become necessary. The aircraft remained well within the approach safety funnel 2° either side of the localiser centerline and 1/2° above or below the glide slope, until 3 miles from touchdown, the PAR controller having provided information on weather, overshoot instructions and distance from touchdown as shown on the R/T transcript at Appendix C. In his 3 miles distance advisory, the PAR controller informed the pilot that he was just a little to the right; this appeared to be corrected and the aircraft returned to the centre line. At about 2 3/4 miles, the aircraft descended momentarily below the glide slope safety funnel but returned quickly towards the glide slope before the PAR controller had made any advisory comment. At 1 1/2 mile the aircraft was again a little right of centre line and at this time also interference from the heavy rain began to obscure PAR reception, firstly in elevation and, shortly after one mile, also in azimuth. Correlation of the flight recorder readout and the R/T transcript indicates that-approximately 2 seconds after receiving the 1 1/2 mile advisory that he was a little to the right, the co-pilot made a left turn of 14°. Eight seconds later, the PAR controller advised him that he was coming back to the centre line and almost immediately he began a right turn of similar dimensions. Five seconds after this, the PAR controller save the 1 mile advisory and the information that the aircraft was going left of centre after which the aircraft increased its rate of turn to the right. On hearing the 1 mile advisory, the captain reinforced it by telling the co-pilot to move to the right and a moment or two later, when looking across the cockpit, saw the sea about 100 ft below through the copilot's side window. He immediately attempted to make a pull-up, but the aircraft struck the surface, bounced slightly, and settled on the water about 3 925 ft before the ILS reference point of runway 31 and about 100 ft left of the ILS centre line. According to the survivors the impact was not unduly greater than that of a heavy landing but the starboard wing and undercarriage broke away, the latter ripping open the underside of the fuselage; in addition, the rear end of the fuselage broke open. As a result of this damage the aircraft sank very rapidly and 14 of the passengers did not escape from the fuselage and were drowned, 6 were dead on arrival at hospital, 4 were missing and later found drowned. The remaining passengers and the crew were rescued by nearby surface vessels and a helicopter.
Probable cause:
The causes of the accident were:
- The pilots did not adhere to the Thai Airways procedure for a 'Captain monitored' approach in bad visibility,
- The captain did not monitor the approach adequately,
- The copilot mishandled the aircraft after descending below minimum altitude,
- Downdraughts may have contributed to the height loss which resulted from this mishandling.
Final Report:

Crash of a Shijiazhuang Yunsunji Y-5 in Guangzhou

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
18152
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountains area located in the region of Guangzhou. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was written off.