Wuhan Airlines Flight 343

Wuhan Airlines Flight 343

A Wuhan Airlines Y-7, similar to the aircraft involved
Accident
Date	22 June 2000 (2000-06-22)
Summary	Crashed in adverse weather conditions
Site	Hanyang District, Wuhan, China 30°36′N114°18′E / 30.6°N 114.3°E / 30.6; 114.3
Total fatalities	49
Total survivors	0
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Xian Y-7
Operator	Wuhan Airlines
IATA flight No.	WU343
ICAO flight No.	CWU343
Registration	B-3479
Flight origin	Enshi Airport
Destination	Wuhan Wangjiadun Airport
Occupants	42 [1]
Passengers	38
Crew	4
Fatalities	42
Survivors	0
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities	7

Location of Hubei in China

Wuhan Airlines Flight 343 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight between Enshi Airport and Wuhan Wangjiadun Airport, both in Hubei province, Central China. On 22 June 2000, the Wuhan Airlines Xian Y-7, registration B-3479, flying the route crashed after encountering an area of adverse weather; the aircraft was struck by lightning and encountered windshear.

Immediately after the accident, China ordered all of Wuhan Airlines' Xian Y-7 aircraft be grounded. One month after the accident, they were allowed to resume service.

The accident remains the deadliest involving a Xian Y-7 aircraft. ^[1]

Accident

The Wuhan Airlines Xian Y-7 aircraft departed Enshi Airport, on 22 June 2000, for a flight to Wuhan. As the aircraft approached Wuhan, the flight crew were informed of adverse weather conditions in the area of the airport. The flight crew circled the airport for approximately 30 minutes, waiting for the weather to improve; during this time they debated whether to divert to another airport, but the pilot decided to continue to try and land at Wuhan. ^[1]

Weather stations recorded 451 thunderclaps in ten minutes during the 30 minute period the aircraft was circling above the airport. ^[1] At approximately 15:00 local time, ^[2] the aircraft was impacted by windshear ^[1] and struck by lightning, ^[3] before it crashed in Sitai Village, Yongfeng Township. ^[1] The fuselage came down between 20 kilometres (12 mi; 11 nmi) and 30 kilometres (19 mi; 16 nmi) from Wuhan in two sections; half of the aircraft fell on a dike on the Han River, the other half impacted with a farmhouse. All 40 passengers and four crew were killed, along with seven people on the ground. ^{[1] [4]}

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the accident, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) ordered all Wuhan Airlines' six other Xian Y-7 aircraft be grounded until the cause of the crash was determined. In July they were permitted to return to service after safety inspections were carried out and flight crews received more training. The CAAC ordered all Xian Y-7 aircraft be removed from scheduled passenger service by 1 June 2001. ^[1]

Cause

The cause was determined to be the adverse weather the aircraft encountered, specifically the lightning strike. ^{[5] [6]} Other causes were the flight crew and air traffic control both violating standard operating procedures for severe weather, and incorrect decision making by the captain. ^{[7] [8]}

See also

• Aviation portal
• China portal

• LANSA Flight 508
• Air France Flight 447
• 2002 Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S-76A crash
• Pan Am Flight 214
• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
• 2000 in aviation

References

External image
Image gallery of crash site of B-3479 [usurped]

1. Ranter, Harro. "Accident description". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network . Retrieved 1 January 2011.
2. "Air Crash Killing 42 in Central China's Wuhan". People's Daily . 23 June 2000. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
3. "42 die after lightning strikes Chinese plane" . The Independent . 22 June 2000. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
4. "武航空难共有四十九人死亡" [Forty-nine people died in Wuhan Airlines crash]. China News Service (in Chinese). 24 June 2000. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
5. "Accident details". PlaneCrashInfo.com. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
6. "武汉航空公司Y7-100/B3479号飞机"6.22"空难事故的调查分析" [Investigation and Analysis of Wuhan Airlines Y7-100/B3479 Aircraft "6.22" Air Crash]. hbsafety.cn (in Chinese). 22 December 2006. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
7. "武汉"6.22"空难为重大责任事故" [Wuhan "6.22" air crash is a major liability accident]. news.enorth.com.cn (in Chinese). North.com-News Center. 15 April 2001. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
8. "武汉航空公司"6.22"特大飞行事故案例分析_交通运输案例_风险管理世界网" [Wuhan Airlines "6.22" Extraordinary Flight Accident Case Analysis_Transportation Case_Risk Management World Network]. www.riskmw.com (in Chinese). 10 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.