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Xian MA60
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Top speed
514 km/h
Length
25 m
Range
1,600 km
Cruise speed
430 km/h
Unit cost
12,500,000–12,500,000 USD (2006)
Number built
110 delivered +310 ordered (March 2013)
Engine type
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100
Airplane spotting zest air xian ma60 taking off kalibo airport
The Xian MA60 (新舟60, Xīnzhōu liùshí, "Modern Ark 60") is a turboprop-powered airliner produced by China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The MA60 is a stretched version of the Xian Y7-200A, which was produced based on the An-24 to operate in rugged conditions with limited ground support and has short take-off and landing (STOL) capability.
The airplane received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China in June 2000. The MA60 has not applied for FAA(US) and EASA(Europe) type certification, and is not certified for use in the European Union or the USA. The general designer of MA-60 series is Lü Hai (吕海).
As of October 2006, XAC has received over 90 MA60 orders. The factory had delivered 23 MA60s by the end of 2006, and expects to deliver an additional 165 by the end of 2016.
Xian MA60-MPA Fearless Albatross: Maritime patrol and ASW variant offered for sale at Airshow China 2002.
Xian MA40: Reduced capacity 40 seat variant offered for sale in 2002.
Xian MA60H-500: A military cargo version of the MA-60, with rear cargo ramp.
Xian MA600: A much improved MA60, the prototype of which was completed on 29 June 2008.
Remote sensing variant
Current operators
In March 2014, 53 MA60 are in service and 14 are stored:
Afghanistan
East Horizon Airlines
Bolivia
Bolivian Air Force
TAM - Transporte Aéreo Militar – 2 in service, 2 on order
Boliviana de Aviación
Burundi
Air Burundi – 1 stored, 1 on order
Cambodia
Cambodia Bayon Airlines – 2 in service
Royal Cambodian Air Force – 2 in service
Cameroon
Camair-Co – 3
China
Civil Aviation Flight University of China – 2 in service
China United Airlines – 1 in service, 1 stored
Okay Airways – 13 in service, 17 on order
Joy Air – 9 in service, 21 on order
Sichuan Airlines – 2 stored
Wuhan Airlines – 3 stored
YingAn Airlines – 1 in service, 9 on order
Democratic Republic of the Congo
LAC – 6 on order
Djibouti
Djibouti Air Force – 2 in service
Eritrea
Massawa Airways – 1 in service
ERAF – 4 in service
Indonesia
Merpati Nusantara Airlines – 12 in service, 2 crashed.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan Airlines – 3 on order
Laos
Lao Airlines – Retired
Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force – 2 MA60 + 2 MA600 = 4 in service
Lao Skyway – 2
Myanmar
Myanma Airways – 2 crashed and 1 cargo (XY-AIO, XY-AIP and XY-AIQ )
Nepal
Nepal Airlines - 4 (as of 01 - 02 - 2017)
Peru
CDS Regional Express – 4 on order
Philippines
Zest Airways – 4 retired and returned to its lessor in China, 1 written off after an accident.
Republic of the Congo
Air Congo Int'l – 4 in service
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Air Force (Helitours) – 2 in service
Tajikistan
Tajik Air – 1 in service (EY-201)
Tonga
Real Tonga – 1
Ukraine
Mars RK – 3 on order. On 23 May 2012 Xi'an Aircraft International Corporation (XAIC) and Mars RK agreed on terms for an order for three MA60 aircraft. This is the first European airline to purchase the MA60.
Yemen
Felix Airways – 2 MA600F and 4 MA60 on order
Zambia
Zambian Air Force – 2 in service
Zimbabwe
Air Zimbabwe – 2 in service, 1 crashed on 3 November 2009,
Accidents and incidents
As of May 11, 2015, there have been 13 accidents involving the MA60. One accident was fatal (MZ8968) resulting in 21 passenger and 4 crew deaths. This caused for instance New Zealand to go as far as suspending tourism aid to Tonga and warned tourists about flying the aircraft which had been gifted to the country.
On 11 January 2009, a MA60 operated by Philippine carrier Zest Airways crashed at Caticlan Airport when it landed too short on the runway, skidded out of control and crashed into a concrete barrier. The aircraft caught fire and suffered extensive damage to its wing, landing gear, undercarriage and one engine. Several passengers were injured.
In June 2009, a MA60 operated by Zest overshot the runway while trying to land at Caticlan airport. As a consequence of this accident lengthening of the runway and the flattening of a hill that obstructs one of its approaches was carried out.
On 7 May 2011 Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 8968 (with Indonesian registration PK-MZK) went into sea only 500 metres from the runway in bad weather with poor visibility on visual approach to Kaimana Airport, Kaimana, West Papua in Indonesia. It had left Sorong Airport with 19 passengers and 6 crew members on board. All passengers and crew were killed, making this the first reported fatal accident for the Xian MA60. On 24 August 2011 Indonesia’s Transportation Minister determined human error was to blame for the disaster.
On 9 January 2012 a TAM flight from Riberalta Airport to Guayaramerín Airport, Bolivia operated by FAB-96 landed with the undercarriage not deployed due to a fault, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries amongst the five crew and sixteen passengers.
On 16 May 2013 a Myanma Airways flight from Heho Airport to Monghsat Airport in Burma, overran the runway on landing, resulting in two serious injuries and substantial damage to the aircraft. The MA60 allegedly suffered a brakes failure.
On 10 June 2013 Merpati Nusantara Airlines flight MZ6517 (with Indonesian registration PK-MZO) from Bajawa to Kupang, with 50 people on-board landed hard at Kupang airport in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Twenty five people were injured. The plane, which has been damaged beyond repair, lay on its belly on the runway with its engines jammed face down into the tarmac and its wings bent forward which one would expect after such a hard landing. Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) has released preliminary report on this accident. The preliminary report consists of factual information collected until the preliminary report published without analysis and conclusion.
On 10 June 2013 Myanma Airways flight UB309 from Mawlamyine, Myanmar carrying four crew members and 60 passengers swerved off the runway upon landing at Kawthaung. The plane came to a stop in bushes about 200 feet to the west of the runway, with smoke coming from the left side propeller housing and the propellers on both wings damaged. There were no injuries. It is possible the captain was too early in switching the nosewheel steering to the 'taxi' mode during the landing roll and lost directional control. A similar incident occurred in December 2011.
On 4 February 2014 Joy Air flight JR1533 from Taiyuan, China carrying 7 crew members and 37 passengers, had a mechanical failure on the landing gear while landing at Zhengzhou. This caused landing gear to break and the aircraft's nose cone to hit the tarmac. There were no injuries.
On 10 May 2015, Joy Air flight JR1529 from Yiwu to Fuzhou with 45 passengers and 7 crew, landed on Fuzhou runway 3 at about 11:57 but veered off the runway and came to a stop off the runway edge about 500 metres past the runway threshold and about 50 metres off the runway centerline with all gear on soft ground. The engines struck the ground causing the wings to be nearly torn off, and resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and structure. 7 occupants were injured.
Operational problems
The New Zealand Government suspended its programme of development aid to Tonga's tourism industry in July 2013 after a MA60 donated by the Chinese Government was delivered to the airline Real Tonga. In August 2013 the New Zealand Government also issued a statement advising tourists to not travel on Real Tonga's MA60 on the grounds that "this aircraft has been involved in a significant number of accidents in the last few years", and the type "is not certified to fly in New Zealand or other comparable jurisdictions". Real Tonga ceased operating the MA60 in early 2015 after the Tongan Government passed legislation adopting New Zealand's civil aviation regulations. A proposal to re-establish Royal Tongan Airlines to operate the MA60 was reported later in the year.
Specifications (MA60)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004
