China Airlines plane crashes en route to Hong Kong
A China Airlines Boeing 747-200 with more than 200 passengers on board crashed into the sea on Saturday en route from Taiwan to Hong Kong, the Prime Minister and airline officials said. (Full Story)
Posted on 05/25/2002 1:59:07 AM PDT by colette_g
China Airlines Plane Missing
A China Airlines passenger aircraft is reported missing on a flight from Taiwan to Hong Kong.
The aircraft was carrying more than 200 passengers and 19 crew onboard the 90 minute flight.
More follows....
A CHINA Airlines flight with 222 people on board has been reported missing for nearly an hour, a television station has reported.
The plane took off at about 3.30pm (1730 AEST) from Taipei's international airport and was reported missing near Penghu at about 4.15pm (1815 AEST), a group of islands off Taiwan's western coast, TVBS reported. It could not be seen on radar, the report said.
It said 203 passengers and 19 crew were on Flight C1611, a Boeing 747, the news report said.
China Airlines, Taiwan's national flag-carrier, did not immediately comment on the report.
Due to a series of crashes in the 1990s, China Airlines used to be considered one of the world's most dangerous airlines. But in recent years, the carrier has reshuffled its board and has put a greater emphasis on safety.
The last known fatal China Airlines accident was in 1999 when a jetliner flipped over and burst into flames during a crash landing in Hong Kong, killing three people.
"Prime Minister Yu Shyi-kun was quoted as saying that rescue aircraft had spotted life jackets and an oil slick floating near the island. "
This is not looking good - prayers for all on board.
Flight 611, 747-200 model, 225 passengers (including 3 children), 14 crewmen.
Weather probably no factor. Crash occured smack between Mainland China and Taiwan.
They made some statement that "the aircraft was 20 years old!" ...but that makes no difference if maintenance is kept up. Hell, the US Air Force has a great safety record of KC-135s that are model 707 airframes that are nearly 50 years old.
Taipei, May 25 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications set up an emergency center after a China Airlines passenger jet disappeared from radar screens Saturday.
2002-05-25 18:09:41 Taipei, May 25 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian was reported by a Presidential Office spokesman Saturday as being "deeply concerned" about the fate of China Airlines flight No. CI611, which disappeared from radar screens at 3:33 p.m. that day.
Saturday, 25 May, 2002, 10:32 GMT 11:32 UK
Taiwan airliner crashes into sea
A Taiwanese airliner carrying more than 200 people has crashed into the sea on its way to Hong Kong, Taiwan's Prime Minister Yu Shyi-kun said. Taiwanese flag carrier China Airlines flight C1611 disappeared from radar screens near the Taiwanese island of Penghu at 0730 GMT, shortly after leaving the capital Taipei.
There were no immediate reports of survivors.
Rescue aircraft have spotted life jackets and an oil slick floating nearby.
Military planes, helicopters and vessels are now scouring the area for survivors.
Safety problems
After presiding over a meeting of the government's emergency response team, Mr Yu confirmed the plane had plunged into the sea off the island, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) west of Taiwan.
"Some life jackets have been found by rescuers floating some 25 nautical miles northeast of Penghu," Mr Yu said.
One cable TV station quoted Penghu fishermen as saying they saw bodies floating in the water.
The Boeing 747-200 was carrying 206 passengers and 19 crew, Taiwan's Transportation Ministry said.
The flight for Hong Kong usually takes one and a half hours.
The BBC's Duncan Hewitt in Shanghai said that the route between Taiwan and Hong Kong is often used by people travelling onwards from Hong Kong to mainland China and other destinations.
Our correspondent says China Airlines has been seeking to improve a poor safety record which has seen several crashes over the past decade, including a major accident at Taipei's international airport in 1998.
The crash of flight C1611 follows two major accidents in the region involving mainland Chinese airlines during the past month.
You can see this update with graphs/factoids by clicking the BBC link posted above.
(05-25) 03:59 PDT (AP) -- TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- A China Airlines flight from Taipei to Hong Kong crashed Saturday in the Taiwan Strait with 225 people on board. There were no immediate reports of survivors.
Flight CI611 was reported missing near Penghu, a group of islands off Taiwan's western coast, at about 3:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. EDT) Saturday -- 50 minutes into its flight, said Kuo Yao-chi, a government official investigating the crash. LINK...
China Airlines plane crashes en route to Hong Kong
A China Airlines Boeing 747-200 with more than 200 passengers on board crashed into the sea on Saturday en route from Taiwan to Hong Kong, the Prime Minister and airline officials said. (Full Story)
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Rescuers have found a large number of bodies after a jumbo jet crashed into the sea between Taiwan and Hong Kong. |
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A Taiwanese airliner carrying more than 200 people has crashed into the sea on its way to Hong Kong, Taiwan's Prime Minister Yu Shyi-kun said.
Taiwanese flag carrier China Airlines flight C1611 disappeared from radar screens near the Taiwanese island of Penghu at 0730 GMT, shortly after leaving the capital Taipei. BBC LINK...
from Sky News
Rescuers have found a large number of bodies after a jumbo jet crashed into the sea between Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The China Airlines passenger aircraft with 225 people onboard crashed shortly after taking off from the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, for Hong Kong.
The Boeing 747-200 was carrying 206 passengers, including three infants, and 19 crew on the ill-fated 90-minute flight.
Oil slick
The jumbo jet took off from Taipei airport at 3.11 pm local time and disappeared off radar screens 19 minutes later.
Investigators fear the plane suffered a mid-air explosion and China Airlines said the pilot had not sent an SOS message.
Six military planes and eight vessels have been deployed in the area.
Rescue teams have reported seeing a large number of bodies and an oil slick in waters off the Taiwanese island of Penghu, also known as the Pescadores.
Emergency team
China Airlines is the national carrier of Taiwan and the Taipei-Hong Kong route is one of the busiest in Asia.
Taiwan Prime Minister Yu Shyi-kun and China Airlines confirmed the plane had crashed into the sea.
"We are making an all-out search and rescue efforts," he said.
The Taiwanese cabinet has formed an emergency team to deal with the crisis.
Last Updated: 12:53 UK, Saturday May 25, 2002
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