CAAC Flight 5109
 An aircraft similar to the one involved in the crash | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 18 January 1985 |
| Summary | Pilot error, stall |
| Site |  China - Jinan |
| Total fatalities | 38 |
| Total injuries | 3 |
| Total survivors | 3 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | An-24B |
| Operator | Civil Aviation Administration of China Fifth Flight Regiment (under Civil Aviation Administration of China Shanghai Bureau) |
| Registration | B-434 |
| Flight origin | China - Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport |
| Stopover | China - Nanjing Dajiaochang Airport |
| Last stopover | China - Jinan Zhangzhuang Airport |
| Destination | China - Beijing Capital International Airport |
| Occupants | 41 |
| Passengers | 34 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 38 |
| Injuries | 3 |
| Survivors | 3 |
CAAC Flight 5109 or China Eastern Airlines Flight 5109 was a flight from Shanghai to Beijing with stops in Nanjing and Jinan. On January 18, 1985, the flight was operated by an An-24B with registration number B-434. The aircraft stalled and crashed during the approach to Jinan Airport due to improper handling by the flight crew during a go-around. Of the 41 people on board, 38 were killed, and only 3 survived.
Incident
[edit]Flight 5109 took off from Nanjing at 17:05 on that day.[1] As the aircraft approached Jinan, there was fog and light rain, and the plane deviated from the approach path. The conditions were not suitable for landing. The Jinan control tower instructed the flight to go around, but the crew hesitated. Eventually, they made a mistake while attempting the go-around, causing the aircraft to stall and crash.[2] Except for one flight attendant and two passengers, the remaining 38 people on board were killed. Among the deceased passengers were two Hong Kong residents and one British national.[3]
Aircraft Details
[edit]The An-24 involved in the accident was manufactured in 1972, with a serial number of 27308110. On September 27, 1979, the aircraft suffered a nose gear fire and was written off after a mishandled rejected takeoff, which caused damage to the aircraft's wiring and cockpit equipment. Since 77% of the aircraft's service life remained, it underwent extensive repairs at the Shanghai Aviation Repair Plant of CAAC. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service on May 23 of the following year.[4]
Aftermath
[edit]After the reorganization of the Civil Aviation Administration of China Shanghai Bureau into China Eastern Airlines, the flight number 5109 continued to be used on the Shanghai-Beijing route.
References
[edit]- ^ "The families of American victims sued the CAAC for compensation regarding the Jinan air crash — The significance of the Warsaw Convention in international air transport". CARNOC. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^ "Centennial of Chinese Aviation Accidents". CARNOC. Archived from the original on 2013-04-02. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^ "Section 3: Scrap, Decommission, and Transfer". Shanghai Local Chronicles Office. Archived from the original on 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ^ "Section 2: Aircraft Maintenance". Shanghai Local Chronicles Office. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-07-26.