China Northern Airlines aircraft crashed near Dalian

Airline Industry Information, May 8, 2002

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A China Northern Airlines aircraft crashed into the waters off northeastern China yesterday (7 May) during a scheduled flight between Beijing and Dalian.

The aircraft - a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, carrying 103 passengers and nine crew members - reportedly went down at 2140 local time about 20 kilometres from the Dalian airport after the pilot reported a fire on board.

Rescue workers searching the sea have reportedly pulled between 60 and 70 bodies from the water. None of the 112 people on board the aircraft are expected to have survived. According to the airline, the passengers included eight foreigners from Japan, Singapore, India, France, Hong Kong and South Korea but the majority were Chinese.

Divers have been called to search the crash site for the aircraft's flight recorders, which should provide information on what went wrong. Ground controllers reportedly lost contact with the aircraft after the pilot reported the fire.

The central government has sent a team of special investigators to the scene in a bid to find the cause of the accident. Nearly 100 vessels are also helping to salvage the aircraft debris for investigation.

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