Passengers 50 Survivors 0 Date 24 February 1999 Total fatalities 61 (all) Passenger count 50 | Crew 11 Survivor 0 Location Wenzhou | |
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Summary Mechanical failure of aircraft tail section caused by improper maintenance Similar Turkish Airlines Flight 5904, Cubana de Aviación Flight 310, TACV Flight 5002, Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316, Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216 | ||
China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509 (SZ4509) was a flight from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, Sichuan to Wenzhou Yongqiang Airport, Zhejiang. On February 24, 1999 it crashed into a field while on approach to Wenzhou Airport, killing all 61 passengers and crew members on board. Witnesses saw the plane nose dive into the ground from an altitude of 2,300 feet and explode.
Contents
Following the incident all Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft in China were taken out of service.
Aircraft
Crew members
Cause
Incorrect locknuts had been installed in the elevator operating system. These spun off during the flight, leaving the elevator uncontrollable.
Flight Number
In 2002, China Southwest merged with Air China. Air China did not retire the flight number, but its destination airport was changed from Wenzhou Yongqiang Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport. As of February 25, 2014, the route is flown using an Airbus A320.