China Northern Airlines Flight 6901

China Northern Airlines Flight 6901 (CJ6901) was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airliner from Beijing's Capital International Airport to Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport in Xinjiang, China. On November 13, 1993, it crashed on approach to Ürümqi Airport. Twelve of the 102 passengers and crew on board were killed. The accident has been attributed to pilot error.[1]

China Northern Airlines Flight 6901
B-2141, the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
DateNovember 13, 1993
SummaryPilot error (Controlled flight into terrain)
SiteNear Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport, Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China
43°55′12″N 87°31′21″E / 43.92000°N 87.52250°E / 43.92000; 87.52250
Aircraft
Aircraft typeMcDonnell Douglas MD-82
OperatorChina Northern Airlines
RegistrationB-2141
Flight originBeijing Capital International Airport Beijing, China
DestinationÜrümqi Diwopu International Airport, Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China
Occupants102
Passengers92
Crew10
Fatalities12
Injuries60
Survivors90

Accident edit

While on final approach, the autopilot automatically disconnected. The Captain proceeded to reengage it, believing that it would still be in approach mode. When activated however, the autopilot went into vertical speed mode with a setting of -800 feet per minute. The crew's failure to disconnect the autopilot and manually land the airplane contributed to the accident. Another factor was the crew's lack of proficiency in English. When the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) issued an aural alarm, the captain asked his first officer what the words "Pull up" meant. The first officer replied that he did not know. Consequently, the pilots ignored the warnings and failed to correct their excessive rate of descent, causing the plane to strike power lines and a wall before coming down in a field.[1][2]

Aircraft edit

The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 with the registration B-2141 and manufacturer's serial number 49849. It was delivered to China Northern Airlines in December 1991.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) B-2141 Urumqi Airport (URC)". aviation-safety.net. Archived from the original on 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  2. ^ "中国空难事故回顾-搜狐新闻" [Review of China Air Accidents-Sohu News]. news.sohu.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
  3. ^ "B-2141 China Northern Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-82". www.planespotters.net. 11 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2022-06-22.