China Eastern Airlines Flight 583

Last updated

China Eastern Airlines Flight 583
McDonnell Douglas MD-11, China Eastern Airlines AN0220927.jpg
B-2171, the aircraft involved in the accident, at Beijing Capital Airport in 1995, 2 years after the accident.
Accident
DateApril 6, 1993
SummaryIn-flight upset due to accidental deployment of slats
SiteNear the Aleutian Islands
39°N172°E / 39°N 172°E / 39; 172
Aircraft
Aircraft type McDonnell-Douglas MD-11
Operator China Eastern Airlines
IATA flight No.MU583
ICAO flight No.CES583
Call signCHINA EASTERN 583
Registration B-2171
Flight origin Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing, China
Stopover Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai, China
Destination Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, United States
Occupants255
Passengers235
Crew20
Fatalities2
Injuries156
Survivors253

China Eastern Airlines Flight 583 was a commercial passenger flight from Shanghai, China, to Los Angeles, United States, operated by China Eastern Airlines. On April 6, 1993, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 operating the flight experienced an in-flight upset due to a flight crew member inadvertently deploying the slats of the aircraft while the plane was cruising near the Aleutian Islands. The accident resulted in the death of two passengers and 156 injuries.

Contents

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, with manufacturer serial number 48495 andregistered as B-2171. It was built by McDonnell Douglas in 1991 and was equipped with three Pratt & Whitney PW4460 engines. The aircraft had logged approximately 4,810 airframe hours and 1,571 takeoff and landing cycles [1] [2]

Accident

On April 6, 1993, the McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 operating the service was cruising above the Pacific Ocean at Mach 0.84 when a crew member accidentally deployed the slats near the Aleutian Islands. The plane then encountered severe oscillations [3] and made an emergency landing at Shemya Air Force Base in Shemya, Semichi Islands, Alaska. [4]

The damage to the cabin of Flight 583 China Eastern Airlines Flight 583 damage.jpg
The damage to the cabin of Flight 583

Of the 255 passengers and crew, 60 were hospitalized; two ultimately died. [2] Of the cockpit crew, five received no injuries and three received serious injuries. Of the flight attendants, eight received no injuries and four received serious injuries. Of the surviving passengers, 84 received no injuries, 96 received minor injuries, and 53 received serious injuries. [2] By April 24, 1993 all but three of the surviving passengers were discharged from the hospital. [5]

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board report found that the handle used to actuate the leading edge flaps/slats was poorly designed, and the captain likely moved this handle unintentionally while performing an unrelated task. This unexpected slats deployment caused the nose to pitch up. The pilot returned the handle to the correct position and, in an effort to correct the plane's pitch, pushed the control column forward with enough force to trigger the autopilot to disengage, thus causing an abrupt nose-down elevator movement. The plane continued to oscillate between nose up and nose down pitch due to the pilot's overcorrection of the elevator inputs until they were able to stabilize the plane's attitude. The violent pitching movement caused injuries to the occupants. At the time of the accident, passengers were either not wearing seatbelts or had them loose, or were standing in the aisle, exacerbating the number and extent of injuries.

Other contributing factors included the lack of pilot training in high altitude upset recovery, the light control force characteristics at cruising altitude, and the influence of the stall warning system engaging and disengaging during the oscillations on the pilot's control inputs. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas MD-80</span> Jet airliner model, series based on the DC-9

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second generation of the DC-9 family, originally designated as the DC-9-80 and later stylized as the DC-9 Super 80 . Stretched, enlarged wing and powered by higher bypass Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines, the aircraft program was launched in October 1977. The MD-80 made its first flight on October 18, 1979, and was certified on August 25, 1980. The first airliner was delivered to launch customer Swissair on September 13, 1980, which introduced it into service on October 10, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas MD-11</span> Wide body airliners developed from the DC-10

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is an American tri-jet wide-body airliner manufactured by American manufacturer McDonnell Douglas (MDC) and later by Boeing. Following DC-10 development studies, the MD-11 program was launched on December 30, 1986. Assembly of the first prototype began on March 9, 1988. Its maiden flight occurred on January 10, 1990, and it achieved Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification on November 8. The first delivery was to Finnair on December 7 and it entered service on December 20, 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Airlines Flight 642</span> August 1999 plane crash in Hong Kong

China Airlines/Mandarin Airlines Flight 642 was a flight that crashed at Hong Kong International Airport on 22 August 1999. It was operating from Bangkok to Taipei with a stopover in Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska Airlines Flight 261</span> Aviation accident over the Pacific Ocean in 2000

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was an Alaska Airlines flight of a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series aircraft that crashed into the Pacific Ocean on January 31, 2000, roughly 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island, California, following a catastrophic loss of pitch control, killing all 88 on board: 5 crew and 83 passengers. The flight was a scheduled international passenger flight from Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport near Seattle, Washington, United States, with an intermediate stop at San Francisco International Airport near San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 1420</span> June 1999 runway overrun and crash in Arkansas, US

American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. On June 1, 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Flight 1420 overran the runway upon landing in Little Rock and crashed. Nine of the 145 people aboard were immediately killed—the captain and eight passengers. Two more passengers died in the hospital in the following weeks.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Airlines Flight 255</span> 1987 plane crash of an MD-82 in Detroit, Michigan

On August 16, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm EDT, resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and 148 of the 149 passengers, along with two people on the ground. The sole survivor was a 4-year-old girl who sustained serious injuries. It was the second-deadliest aviation accident at the time in the United States. It is also the deadliest aviation accident to have a sole survivor, the deadliest aircraft accident in the history of the state of Michigan, and the worst crash in the history of Northwest Airlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751</span> 1991 aviation incident

Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751 was a regularly scheduled Scandinavian Airlines passenger flight from Stockholm, Sweden, to Warsaw, Poland, via Copenhagen, Denmark. On 27 December 1991, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 operating the flight, registration OY-KHO, piloted by Danish Captain Stefan G. Rasmussen (44) and Swedish first officer Ulf Cedermark (34), both experienced pilots with 8,000 and 3,000 flight hours, respectively, was forced to make an emergency landing in a field near Gottröra, Sweden. Ice had collected on the wings' inner roots before takeoff, broke off, and was ingested into the engines as the aircraft became airborne on takeoff, ultimately disabling both engines. All 129 passengers and crew aboard survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Northern Airlines Flight 6136</span> 2002 passenger plane crash in Bohai Bay, Liaoning, China

China Northern Airlines Flight 6136 (CBF6136/CJ6136) was a Chinese domestic passenger flight from Beijing Capital International Airport to Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport. On 7 May 2002, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating the flight crashed into the bay near Dalian shortly after the pilot reported "fire on board", killing all 103 passengers and 9 crew members. The cause of the fire was later determined to be arson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eareckson Air Station</span> US Air Force military airport on Shemya island in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska

Eareckson Air Station, formerly Shemya Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force military airport located on the island of Shemya, in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas DC-9</span> Jet airliner, produced 1965-1982

The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast, single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced as the Douglas DC-9 prior to August 1967, after which point the company had merged with McDonnell Aircraft to become McDonnell Douglas. Following the introduction of its first jetliner, the high-capacity DC-8, in 1959, Douglas was interested in producing an aircraft suited to smaller routes. As early as 1958, design studies were conducted; approval for the DC-9, a smaller all-new jetliner, came on April 8, 1963. The DC-9-10 first flew on February 25, 1965, and gained its type certificate on November 23, to enter service with Delta Air Lines on December 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FedEx Express Flight 647</span> 2003 aviation accident

FedEx Express Flight 647 was a flight between Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California and Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tennessee that crashed during landing on December 18, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269</span> 2007 plane crash in Phuket, Thailand

One-Two-Go Airlines Flight 269 (OG269) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand. On 16 September 2007, about 15:41 ICT, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating the flight crashed into an embankment beside runway 27 at Phuket International Airport (HKT) bursting into flames upon impact during an attempted go-around after an aborted landing, killing 90 of the 130 people on board. It is the third deadliest aviation incident to occur in Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanair Flight 5022</span> August 2008 plane crash in Madrid, Spain

Spanair Flight 5022 or (JK5022/JKK5022) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Barcelona–El Prat Airport to Gran Canaria Airport, Spain, with a stopover in Madrid–Barajas Airport that crashed just after take-off from runway 36L at Madrid-Barajas Airport to Gran Canaria Airport at 14:24 CEST (12:24 UTC) on 20 August 2008. The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration EC-HFP. Of the 172 passengers and crew on board, 154 died and 18 survived.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FedEx Express Flight 80</span> 2009 cargo plane crash in Tokyo, Japan

FedEx Express Flight 80 was a scheduled cargo flight from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, to Narita International Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. On March 23, 2009, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (N526FE) operating the flight crashed at 6:48 am JST, while attempting a landing on Runway 34L in gusty wind conditions. The aircraft became destabilized at flare and touchdown resulting in an unrecovered "bounced" landing with structural failure of the landing gear and airframe following pilot error due to poor training for bounced landings. The plane came to rest off the runway, inverted, and burning fiercely. The captain and first officer, the jet's only occupants, were both killed.

Throughout a normal flight, a pilot controls an aircraft through the use of flight controls including maintaining straight and level flight, as well as turns, climbing, and descending. Some controls, such as a "yoke" or "stick" move and adjust the control surfaces which affects the aircraft's attitude in the three axes of pitch, roll, and yaw. Other controls include those for adjusting wing characteristics and those that control the power or thrust of the propulsion systems. The loss of primary control systems in any phase of flight is an emergency. Aircraft are not designed to be flown under such circumstances; however, some pilots faced with such an emergency have had limited success flying and landing aircraft with disabled controls.

In aeronautics, loss of control (LOC) is the unintended departure of an aircraft from controlled flight and is a significant factor in several aviation accidents worldwide. In 2015 it was the leading cause of general aviation accidents. Loss of control may be the result of mechanical failure, external disturbances, aircraft upset conditions, or inappropriate crew actions or responses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Air Lines Flight 1086</span> 2015 aviation incident

Delta Air Lines Flight 1086 was a scheduled Delta Air Lines domestic passenger flight between Atlanta and New York's LaGuardia Airport. On March 5, 2015, the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft veered off the runway shortly after landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The plane ran up the seawall berm and struck the perimeter fence, sliding along it for approximately 940 feet (290 m) before coming to rest with the nose of the aircraft hanging over the berm above Flushing Bay. There were no fatalities, although 29 people suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was seriously damaged and written off.

References

  1. "Accident McDonnell Douglas MD-11 B-2171, Tuesday 6 April 1993". asn.flightsafety.org. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Aircraft Accident Report - Inadvertent in-flight slat deployment, China Eastern Airlines flight 583, McDonnell Douglas MD-11, B-2171, 950 nautical miles south of Sheyma, Alaska, April 6, 1993 (PDF) (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. October 27, 1993. NTSB/AAR-93/07. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved September 22, 2021. - Copy at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.
  3. "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas MD-11 B-2171 Shemya, AK". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  4. Phillips, Don (April 14, 1993). "Engineering Problem Or Crew Error Caused Jet to Pitch Violently". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved June 15, 2009.
  5. Enge, Marilee (April 24, 1993). "HOSPITALS SEE CHINA PAYING BILLS". Anchorage Daily News . p. B1. Retrieved June 15, 2009 via www.newslibrary.com.[ dead link ]
  6. Channel, National Geographic. "National Geographic - Air Crash Investigation". www.natgeotv.com (in Dutch). Retrieved January 3, 2025.