China Southern Airlines Flight 3456

Last updated
China Southern Airlines Flight 3456
Accident
Date8 May 1997 (1997-05-08)
Summary Pilot error aggravated by severe weather
Site Shenzhen Huangtian Airport, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
22°38′25″N113°48′39″E / 22.6402°N 113.8109°E / 22.6402; 113.8109
Aircraft
Aircraft type Boeing 737-31B
Operator China Southern Airlines
Registration B-2925
Flight origin Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport
Destination Shenzhen Huangtian Airport
Occupants74
Passengers65
Crew9
Fatalities35
Injuries9
Survivors39

China Southern Airlines Flight 3456 (CZ3456/CSN3456) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to Shenzhen Huangtian Airport (now Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport). On 8 May 1997, the Boeing 737 performing this route crashed during the second attempt to land in a thunderstorm. [1] The flight number 3456 is still used by China Southern and for the Chongqing-Shenzhen route but now with the Airbus A320 family or Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft. [2]

Contents

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft was a Boeing 737-31B registered as B-2925 and with serial number 27288. The aircraft was delivered to China Southern on 2 February 1994, and had recorded over 8,500 hours before the crash. The aircraft was powered by 2 CFM International CFM56-3C1 turbofan engines. [1] [3] [4] [5]

Flight crew

The captain in command was 45-year-old Lin Yougui (Chinese :林友贵), he had logged more than 12,700 hours of total flying time, including 9,100 hours as Radio Operator and 3,600 hours as a pilot. The first officer was 36-year-old Kong Dexin (孔德新), he had logged over 15,500 hours of total flying time, of which 11,200 hours as flight engineer and 4,300 hours as a pilot. [1]

Weather

The weather reported by Shenzhen Airport from 17:00 of 8 May to 02:00 of 9 May was: "170 degrees wind at 7 m/s (14 kn; 25 km/h; 16 mph) with rain, visibility 6,000 metres (20,000 ft), overcast at 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), variable winds at 15 metres per second (29 kn; 54 km/h; 34 mph), thunderstorm may appear."

At 18:00, on 8 May, a severe weather warning was issued: "report to airports, air traffic controls and airline companies: Thunderstorm with strong winds will appear, all departments including the crew who will be taking off should be notified." At 21:33, the weather recorded was 290 degrees wind at 7 m/s (14 kn; 25 km/h; 16 mph), visibility 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), showers, low clouds at 210 metres (690 ft), cumulonimbus at 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), temperature at 23 °C (73 °F). [1]

Accident

On 8 May 1997, Flight 3456 took off from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport at 19:45 local time (UTC+8), expected to arrive Shenzhen Huangtian Airport at 21:30. At 21:07, the Shenzhen Airport approach controller cleared the flight to the approach of Runway 33. At 21:17, the Tower informed the crew "heavy rain on final, advise when spotting the runway". At 21:18:07, the crew stated they have established ILS approach. At 21:18:53, the crew advised ATC that they spotted the approach lightings, and the controller cleared the aircraft to land. The controller was able to see the landing light of the plane, but it was not clear due to the rain. At 21:19:33, the aircraft touched down on the south of the runway, bounced three times, and damaged the aircraft's nose gear, hydraulic systems and flaps. The crew decided to go around. [6]

The aircraft made a left turn while climbing up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft). The crew were asked to turn on the transponder to show the ATC their position, but the secondary surveillance radar did not receive any signal from the aircraft, indicating the transponder was off. At 21:23:57, the crew informed the ATC they were on the downwind side, and requested other aircraft to clear off the airspace for Flight 3456's landing. At 21:24:40, the crew declared an emergency and requested to clear the approach again. At the time, the main warning, hydraulic system warning and the gear warning were all triggered in the cockpit. At 21:24:58, the crew asked for a full emergency airfield support. The aircraft then turned around, reporting it would land toward the south, which was approved. At 21:28:30, the aircraft skidded off the runway, broke into three pieces and caught on fire, killing 33 passengers and 2 crew members. [1] [7]

Crash site

The first landing attempt was toward north. Debris from the nose gear was found scattered near the southern end of the runway, indicating the left front tyre had exploded during the first touch down. Fallouts including rivets, metal sheets, rubber tube and retaining clip could also be found on the runway surface.

The second landing attempt was toward south. A clear surface scratch from the fuselage was found 427 metres (1,401 ft) from the runway threshold. The aircraft disintegrated after rolling approximately 600 metres (2,000 ft) across the runway and burst into flames. The central part of the fuselage and the trailing edge of the right wing received the most severe burning damage. The front section of the fuselage was 12 metres (39 ft) long with nose pointing north, partially damaged, showing rolling and rotating trace but no signs of burning. A large amount of mire was filled in the deformed cockpit. The rear section was relatively intact, and was the only section not destroyed. [1] : 5.2  The left main gear and the right engine were scattered on the left side of the runway. [1] : 2 

Victims

On 9 May 1997, News at 6:30, a national news show aired at TVB Jade, provided a casualty list for the accident. [8]

NationalityPassengersCrewFatalitiesTotal
China42919 (Including 2 crew)51
Thailand2101621
Taiwan1001
Hong Kong1001
Total6593574

Cockpit voice recording

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg CVR - China Southern 3456 on YouTube

In June 2007, an audio recording reputed to be the last 12 minutes 27 seconds recorded by the cockpit voice recorder of Flight 3456 was leaked on the Internet. According to an expert from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the recording is unlikely to be fake. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles runway disaster</span> 1991 runway collision between two airplanes

On the evening of February 1, 1991, USAir Flight 1493, a Boeing 737-300, collided with SkyWest Airlines Flight 5569, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner turboprop aircraft, upon landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). As Flight 1493 was on final approach, the local controller was distracted, though air traffic was not heavy at LAX, by a series of abnormalities, including a misplaced flight progress strip and an aircraft that had inadvertently switched off the tower frequency. The SkyWest flight was told to taxi into takeoff position, while the USAir flight was landing on the same runway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilot error</span> Decision, action or inaction by a pilot of an aircraft

Pilot error generally refers to an accident in which an action or decision made by the pilot was the cause or a contributing factor that led to the accident, but also includes the pilot's failure to make a correct decision or take proper action. Errors are intentional actions that fail to achieve their intended outcomes. The Chicago Convention defines the term "accident" as "an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft [...] in which [...] a person is fatally or seriously injured [...] except when the injuries are [...] inflicted by other persons." Hence the definition of "pilot error" does not include deliberate crashing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garuda Indonesia Flight 200</span> 2007 passenger plane crash in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Garuda Indonesia Flight 200(GA200/GIA 200) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight of a Boeing 737-400 operated by Garuda Indonesia between Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The aircraft overran the runway, crashed into a rice field and burst into flames while landing at Adisucipto International Airport on 7 March 2007. Twenty passengers and one flight attendant were killed. Both pilots survived, and were fired shortly after the accident occurred. It was the fifth hull-loss of a Boeing 737 in Indonesia within less than six months and was the most recent accident with fatalities involving the airline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Eastern Airlines Flight 5398</span> 1993 aviation accident

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5398 (MU5398) was a flight route from Shenzhen's Bao'an International Airport to Fuzhou Yixu Airport in Fujian. On 26 October 1993, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airliner flying this route crashed on approach to Fuzhou Yixu Airport. The aircraft overran the runway while landing in heavy rain and high winds. Two of the 80 passengers and crew on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aeroflot Flight 821</span> 2008 Boeing 737-500 crash in Russia

Aeroflot Flight 821 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by Aeroflot-Nord in a service agreement with Aeroflot and as its subsidiary. On 14 September 2008, the aircraft operating the flight crashed on approach to Perm International Airport at 5:10 local time (UTC+06). All 82 passengers and six crew members were killed. Among the passengers who were killed was Russian Colonel General Gennady Troshev, an adviser to the President of Russia who had been the commander of the North Caucasus Military District during the Second Chechen War. A section of the Trans-Siberian Railway was damaged by the crash. Flight 821 is the deadliest accident involving a Boeing 737-500, surpassing the 1993 crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 733, and was the second-deadliest aviation incident in 2008, behind Spanair Flight 5022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Airlines Flight 331</span> 2009 aviation accident

On 22 December 2009, an American Airlines Boeing 737-800, operating American Airlines Flight 331 and carrying 148 passengers and six crew, overran runway 12 on landing at Kingston in poor weather. The plane continued on the ground outside the airport perimeter and broke apart on the beach, causing injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan Air Lines Flight 472 (1972)</span> Plane crash in India

Japan Air Lines Flight 472 was a flight from London to Tokyo via Frankfurt, Rome, Beirut, Tehran, Bombay, Bangkok and Hong Kong. On September 24, 1972, the flight landed at Juhu Aerodrome near Bombay, India instead of the city's much larger Santacruz Airport and overran the runway, resulting in the aircraft being written off after being damaged beyond economic repair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Air Lines Flight 611</span>

Southwest Air Lines Flight 611 was a scheduled flight from Naha to Ishigaki. On 26 August 1982, the Boeing 737-200 overran the runway while attempting to land. The aircraft caught fire and was destroyed, but none of the 133 passengers and 5 crew died in the accident although two crew and one passenger were seriously injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 836</span> 2010 aviation accident

Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 836 was a scheduled domestic flight between Sorong and Manokwari, Indonesia. On 13 April 2010, the flight, operated by Boeing 737-300 PK-MDE, overran the runway on landing. The aircraft broke into three pieces. All people on board survived, although 44 suffered injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgian Airways Flight 834</span> 2011 aviation accident in Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 4 April 2011, Georgian Airways Flight 834, a Bombardier CRJ100 passenger jet of Georgian Airways operating a domestic flight from Kisangani to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) crashed while attempting to land at Kinshasa Airport. The aircraft, which was chartered by the United Nations, was trying to land during a thunderstorm. Of the 33 people on board, only one person survived. The incident remains as the United Nations' deadliest aviation disaster. It is also the third-deadliest air disaster involving the CRJ100/200, behind Comair Flight 5191 and China Eastern Airlines Flight 5210.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAAC Flight 301</span> 1988 aviation accident

CAAC Flight 3456 , a Hawker Siddeley Trident operated by CAAC Guangzhou Regional Administration from Guangzhou Baiyun to Hong Kong Kai Tak, ran off the runway in Hong Kong on 31 August 1988 after clipping approach lights. This was the first accident of China Southern Airlines since the split of CAAC Airlines from 1 July 1988. Six crew members and one passenger perished in the accident. The crash shut down Kai Tak Airport for more than six hours after the accident.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flydubai Flight 981</span> 2016 aircraft crash in Rostov-on-Don, Russia

Flydubai Flight 981 (FZ981/FDB981) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Rostov-on-Don, Russia. On 19 March 2016, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating the flight crashed during a go-around, killing all 62 passengers and crew on board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emirates Flight 521</span> 2016 passenger plane crash in Dubai

Emirates Flight 521 (EK521/UAE521) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Thiruvananthapuram, India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, operated by Emirates using a Boeing 777-300. On 3 August 2016 the aircraft, carrying 282 passengers and 18 crew, crashed while landing at Dubai International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XiamenAir Flight 8667</span> 2018 aviation incident

XiamenAir Flight 8667 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport in Xiamen, China, to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines. On 16 August 2018, the Boeing 737-800 operating this flight skidded off the runway while attempting to land in poor weather conditions. The crash occurred at 11:55 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8), resulting in the destruction of the aircraft. No serious injuries were reported among the crew or passengers. The damaged aircraft took 36 hours to remove from the runway, leading to a major disruption at the airport, which is the primary international gateway to the Philippines. The closure caused the cancellation of more than 200 domestic and international flights, affected more than 250,000 travelers, and prompted calls for enlargement of the airport or the construction of alternative airports to serve the country in the event of future disruptions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UTair Flight 579</span> Aircraft accident in Russia, September 2018

On September 1, 2018, UTair Flight 579, a Boeing 737-800 on a scheduled domestic flight from Moscow to Sochi, Russia, with 164 passengers and 6 crew, overran the runway and caught fire while landing at Sochi, injuring 18 occupants. One airport employee died of a heart attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Air International Flight 293</span> 2019 Crash of a Miami Air International Boeing 737-800

Miami Air International Flight 293 was a military charter from Guantanamo Bay to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, operated by Miami Air International. On May 3, 2019, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating the flight overran the runway on landing. Twenty-one people were injured. The aircraft was written off, making it the 17th loss of a Boeing 737-800. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) attributed the accident to hydroplaning caused by heavy rainfall on the ungrooved runway; although the pilots were found to have made a series of errors during final approach and landing, the NTSB concluded that these errors had little effect on the final outcome, as the aircraft would have been unable to stop even if the landing had been executed properly.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "China Southern May 8th aircraft accident official report" (in Chinese). Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  2. ↑ "China Southern Flight 3456 tracking". Flightaware. Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  3. ↑ "Flight 3456 info on airdisaster.com". airdisaster.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 11 Jun 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ↑ "B-2925 China Southern Airlines Boeing 737-300". www.planespotters.net. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  5. ↑ "China Southern Airlines B-2925 (Boeing 737 - MSN 27288)". www.airfleets.net. Airfleets aviation. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  6. ↑ 南航空難黑盒錄音11年後重現 [South Air's hard black box recording reappears after 11 years] (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Sina. 2008-03-07. Archived from the original on 2008-03-11.
  7. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-31B B-2925 Shenzhen Airport (SZX)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
  8. ↑ 無線1997年5月9日深圳黃田機場空難35死 [Wireless, May 9, 1997, Shenzhen Huangtian Airport crashed 35 dead]. YouTube (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  9. ↑ "CAAC: It doesn't seem false". Archived from the original on March 11, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.