| Mandarin (CAL
subsidiary) MD-11 Crash (Chep Lap Kok -22 Aug 1999) |
|
HKG
MD-11 Crash Video Released
Came across
this link:
http://streaming.scmp.com/aircrash/CAL_Plane_crash1f.avi
(9mb download)
This has apparently has only just been released and shows the
horrific last moments of the MD-11 which crashed in a typhoon at
Hong Kong in August 1999.
The final stages of the approach do not look unduly out of the
ordinary. Yes there was a small amount of buffeting but compared
to some footage I have seen (various Kai Tak, 321 at Lisbon) the
aircraft looked under control. However I've gauged from the
aircraft's latter pitch changes, that IAS was trending low and
that (due to shear or local wind effects) it developed a late
high sink-rate and landed slightly right wing MLG first.
Understandably, now that the Italian captain's lawyers have
lately gotten hold of this, they are contesting the Accident
Board's findings and subsequent dismissal. In my view it has
always been a cover-up of the MD-11's wing-fuselage weakness
(prior similar accidents) - following starboard undercarriage
failure. |
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|
When you click on it
frame-by-frame, the first flash of fire comes from the right inboard wing
around the number three engine. It grows from there. Wind shear caused the
crash, but even looking at the
footage, while you see the wing dip suddenly, it is apparently being
corrected just before the fireball.
Allegedly it was proven that the RH strut
sheared on touchdown as a result of not having been (correctly) inspected
after several previous hard landings in its recent history. This
"relatively" normal (but indisputably
right wing slightly first)
landing was the final straw. Seems to indicate a design deficiency.
Unable to locate any final report thus far. |
From
Flight for 9 September (subscription access):-
quote:
Row over findings of 1999 China Airlines crash
inquiry leads to establishment of new body
Hong Kong's first-ever aircraft accident review board is being established
to evaluate the findings of a disputed report into the fatal August 1999
crash of a China Airlines (CAL) Boeing MD-11 at Hong Kong International
Airport. ...
The dispute is apparently between "pilot error" (investigators) and "windshear"
(airline). Because of this, the investigation report has not yet been
published. No doubt there's a lot more information than just this video.
One thing is clear from the video, though. It seems amazing that most of the
occupants survived this, and that there were only three fatalities. This was
mostly due to the very prompt RFF intervention and the fact that the spilt
fuel was soaked up by the rain-pool in
which the aircraft came to rest inverted. |
| post-crash photos
available
here |
| Date: |
22 AUG 1999 |
| Time: |
18.44 |
| Type: |
McDonnell
Douglas MD-11 |
| Operator: |
China Airlines
|
| Registration: |
B-150 |
| Msn / C/n: |
48468/518 |
| Year built: |
1992 |
| Total airframe hrs: |
30700 hours |
| Cycles: |
5800 cycles |
| Engines: |
3 Pratt & Whitney PW4460 |
| Crew: |
0 fatalities / 15 on board |
| Passengers: |
3 fatalities / 300 on board |
| Total: |
3 fatalities / 315 on board
|
| Airplane damage: |
Written off |
| Location: |
Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok
International Airport (HKG) (Hong
Kong) |
| Phase: |
Landing |
| Nature: |
International Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: |
Bangkok International Airport (BKK) |
| Destination airport: |
Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International
Airport (HKG) |
| Flightnumber: |
642 |
Remarks:
China Airlines flight 642 departed Bangkok for a flight to Taipei via Hong
Kong. Weather in the Hong Kong area was very poor with a severe tropical
storm ('Sam') 50km NE of the airport and gale force winds and thunderstorms.
Extra fuel was carried, because the crew intended to continue to Taipei,
depending on weather at Hong Kong on arrival. Before the arrival of flight
642 four flights carried out missed approaches, five planes diverted and 12
planes landed successfully. Weather information obtained by the crew at
18.06 reported a 300deg wind at 35 kts and an RVR of 650m in heavy rain. The
flight crew then prepared for a runway 25L ILS approach. Landing reference
speed was calculated to be 152kts and the captain (pilot-in-command) would
fly the approach at 170kts and would continue to land depending on a wind
check on finals. At 18.41h, while flying the runway 25L ILS approach,
weather was reported to the crew being 1600m visibility in the touchdown
zone, wind 320deg/25kts gusting to 33kts. The aircraft was then cleared to
land. At an altitude of 700ft prior to touchdown a further wind check was
passed to the crew: 320deg/28kts gusting to 36kts. Maximum crosswind limit
for the aircraft was 24kts. The pilot-in-command continued with the
approach, disconnected the autopilot but left auto throttle engaged.
The MD-11, with a weight very close to the maximum landing weight permitted,
stabilized slightly low on the glide slope. At 50ft above the runway, upon
power reduction to flight idle, the airspeed decreased from 170 to 152kts.
An attempt was made to flare in a slightly right wing down (less than 4 deg)
attitude. The aircraft landed hard on its right main gear and the no.3
engine touched the runway. The right main gear separated and the right wing
separated. The MD-11 then rolled inverted as it skidded off the runway in
flames. It came to rest on a grass area next to the runway, 1100m from the
runway threshold. The right wing was found on a taxiway 90m from the nose of
the plane. The crash sequence in this case bears similarities to the
Fedex
MD-11 which also flipped upside down on
landing at Newark.
Weather -
Turbulence/crosswind etc - (no windshear)
BACK
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