China Airlines Plane Missing

Sky News ^ | 09:50 UK, Saturday May 25, 2002 | Sky News

[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....

[mr1776]

Taiwan Plane Crashes in Sea, First Body Found Sat May 25, 7:55 AM ET

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A China Airlines Boeing 747-200 with 225 passengers and crew on board crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff Saturday en route from Taiwan to Hong Kong.

Military search planes and helicopters circling the area spotted a cabin door, life vests and an oil slick at the site of the crash off the Taiwan-held Penghu islands, also known as the Pescadores.

Taiwan transport authorities said the body of a man was picked up, and local cable television said many bodies had been sighted.

An official with China Airlines, Taiwan's main carrier, said the plane did not issue a Mayday call before it disappeared from radar screens about 20 minutes after takeoff.

As night fell, naval ships with powerful searchlights joined the search for survivors.

The weather bureau reported cloud in the area but no rain at the time of the accident.

"Because it's at sea, we can't determine (what happened) before finding anything concrete. But basically, we have found some life vests floating at sea," Premier Yu Shyi-kun told reporters.

In its first comment on the crash, China Airlines said in a statement Flight CI 611, a 22-year-old plane carrying 206 passengers, including three infants, and 19 crew, was suspected to have crashed into the sea.

"I heard a big bang," a fisherman identified only by the name Lee told ETTC cable television. "I thought it was mainland fishermen dynamiting fish."

Dynamite is used illegally off the coast of Taiwan to stun fish and make them easy to catch as they float to the surface.

Cabinet spokesman Chuang Suo-han said: "The cabinet has formed an emergency team to deal with the situation."

The plane took off at 3:08 p.m. (3:08 a.m. EDT) and disappeared off radar screens 20 minutes later, aviation officials said.

"The plane abruptly disappeared from the radar," transportation minister Lin Lin-san told reporters.

"We did not find an explosion in the air," vice transportation minister Chang Chia-juch told reporters when asked by reporters if there had been an airborne explosion.

Flying time from Taiwan to Hong Kong is one and a half hours.

Fourteen of the passengers were from Hong Kong, Macau and China. There were two Singaporeans and one European on board, airline officials said.

In the last major crash in Taiwan in October 2000, a Singapore Airlines plane crashed at Taipei airport killing 83 of 179 people on board.

China Airlines was taken over by its first woman chief executive officer in 2000 to shed an appalling image after three deadly accidents in six years.

A China Airlines MD 11 crashed on landing in Hong Kong in September 1999 and all but three of the 315 passengers and crew survived. More than 200 were injured.

In February 1998, a China Airlines Airbus carrying holidaymakers back from Bali crashed and disintegrated at Taipei airport, killing 196 aboard and seven on the ground.

That disaster followed an April 1994 crash in Nagoya, Japan, when a China Airlines Airbus A300-600R stalled during landing. Only seven of the 271 passengers and crew survived.

..................... No speculation on my part, but this opens up some new doors...

[EODGUY]

Although Leadpenny answered your question, I'd like to add that mainland China has been quickly building up her missile sites along the Taiwan Strait, targeting Taiwan itself.

To give you an example of the distance involved, I lived in Tainan for 1 and 1/2 years and on a very clear day you could see the outline of he Chinese mainland across the strait.

I pray for the deceased and also that the crash was not caused by the communist Chinese.

EODGUY

[colette_g]

Thanks EODGUY, it all helps to build a picture.

[mr1776]

China Airlines english site is hosed.......

http://usa.china-airlines.com/us/index.htm

[zook]

bump this thread

[cake_crumb]

"bump this thread"

K...BUMP

Prayers for survivors.

Hope some trigger happy Red Army soldier didn't cause this...

[Chad Fairbanks]

I lived in northern Taiwan (up near the veteran's hospital) for some time - greatly enjoyed it. One aspect bothered me, though - the highest property values in the north end were near the national palace museum, because it was believed that the area would not be hit by missiles from the mainland in event of war, and was thus a safe place to live...

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

AP News in Brief China Airlines Flight to Hong Kong Crashes in the Taiwan Strait Near the Taiwanese Island of Penghu

[EODGUY]

I have nothing but fond memories of the island of Taiwan and the people who inhabit it. They were honest, friendly and very polite. I was in the military and they truly treasured our military presence in their country.

I must admit, I was really angered when we (Nixon) turned our back on that country, a country that at that time sought a democratic form of government and has since achieved it.

I am very pleased that our president has renewed his committment to support the Taiwanese people.

Were you up near Taipei?

[cmsgop]

Pics of the exact plane that crashed

[Chad Fairbanks]

I lived in Taipei, but worked up in Peitou. I enjoyed pretty much every aspect of living there. I wasn't in the military there, but worked in a biotech lab. Also, I developed a taste for snake that I have yet to get rid of ;0)

[Diddle E. Squat]

Yep, planes never crashed before 9/11. Must be terrorism.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I hate news like this - I can never tell now whether to blame terrorists, or the commies... ;0)

[cardinal4]

Not to mention the B-52 whose design and airframe are over 50 years old. Believe it or not,the Air Force has extended the BUFF's life to year 2030. As an airline dispatcher I can tell you that properly maintained,20 years means nothing. There is always at least one of our aircraft rotated into the main Hangar for Heavy Checks. We employe mechanics just for the Heavy. In fact its an FAR to do block checks every certain amount of cycles.(Take off and landings)

[dighton]

Short description of this accident or atrocity at Aviation Safety Network

Flight 611 departed Taipei at 14.50, ten minutes late for a flight to Hong Kong which would take an estimated time of 1 hour and 38 minutes. The plane was flying at 35,000 feet just before it disappeared off radar screens, some 40 minutes after takeoff.

*Apparently* no transmissions from crew indicating trouble; aircraft suddenly disappears near cruising altitude. More details will emerge. In the meantime, this one looks much more suspicious than most.

See cmsgop's link for better photos of that jet.

[EODGUY]

Also, I developed a taste for snake that I have yet to get rid of ;0)

Whoa, you got me there! I used to go down to the night market and watch the vendors reach into their basket of snakes, kill them and skin them in seconds. Never even considered tossing a morsel in my mouth though. :)

[Chad Fairbanks]

I've probably flown, more than once, on the very plane that crashed... gives me the heebie jeebies...

[Chad Fairbanks]

I would have felt I was being rude if I hadn't tried what was offered by my host (I have odd notions like that) ;0)

My first day there, they brought in boxed lunches. I've had corporate american boxed lunches before, so I didn't think anything of it. I open the box, and there, resting on a bed of rice, was a big raw squid... needless to say, it was like chewing rubber... ;0) Luckily, they took me to a really nice Indian restaurant for dinner that night ;0)

[Tennessee_Bob]

I would have felt I was being rude if I hadn't tried what was offered by my host (I have odd notions like that) ;0)

Kind of like the first time I tried dog when I was in South Korea. So I know where you're coming from.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

China Airlines Flight to Hong Kong Crashes in Taiwan Strait