Dozens dead in China plane crash

[Darren Butterworth]

A Chinese airliner crashed and burst into flames while attempting to land in northeast China on Tuesday, killing 43 people on board, state media reported.

The Henan Airlines plane overshot the runway while trying to touch down at an airport in the city of Yichun in remote Heilongjiang province, the official Xinhua news agency said.

more at; http://www.smh.com.au/world/dozens-dead-in-china-plane-crash-20100825-13qnc.html

[Peter Agatsiotis]

According to Skyliner news, the unfortunate aircraft was Hainan EMB-195 B-3130.

At least there were more survivors(53) than fatalities(43) but only just. Some of the survivors have very serious injuries.

[Greg McDonald]

Interesting article:

AT least one airline had questioned the safety of night landings at the Chinese airport where 42 people were killed on Tuesday night.

The newly-built airport in Yichun sits in a forested valley and has operated for a year, The Advertiser reports.

China Southern Airlines decided last August to avoid night flights in and out of Yichun, switching its daily flight from Harbin to the daytime.

A technical notice cited concerns about the airport's surrounding terrain, runway lighting and wind and weather conditions.

"Principally, there should be no night flights at Yichun airport,'' said the notice from China Southern's Heilongjiang branch that was posted online.

An employee with the branch's technical office confirmed the notice's authenticity.

The crash and fire were so severe, little of the fuselage remained, though the charred tail still largely was intact.

China Central Television said eight of the victims were found 20m to 30m from the plane's wreckage in a muddy field.

It said the pilot, Qi Quanjun, survived the crash but was badly hurt and cannot speak.
One survivor told Xinhua there was strong turbulence just after the announcement the plane was about to land.

Survivors among the 96 passengers and crew described scenes of horror, with luggage falling down and escapes through flames and broken holes in the fuselage.

This was China's first major commercial air disaster in nearly six years.

The plane's two black boxes were recovered, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, but it still is not known what caused the accident.

[D Chan]

According to Skyliner news, the unfortunate aircraft was Hainan EMB-195 B-3130.

At least there were more survivors(53) than fatalities(43) but only just. Some of the survivors have very serious injuries.

Henan not Hainan, the two have no relations

[Peter Agatsiotis]

Apologies, misread the table of Skyliner news.