China Northern Airlines Flight 6901

China Northern Airlines Flight 6901

300px B-2140, sister-ship to the accident aircraft
summary
Date	November 13, 1993
Summary	Pilot error (Controlled flight into terrain)
Site	Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China
Passengers	92
Crew	10
Injuries (non-fatal)	60
Fatalities	12
Survivors	90
Aircraft type	McDonnell Douglas MD-82
Operator	China Northern Airlines
Registration	B-2141

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.

Accident

While on final approach, the autopilot automatically disconnected. The Captain proceeded to reengage it, believing that it would still be in APP mode. When activated however, the autopilot went into VERT SPD 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 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.

Aircraft

• Model: McDonnell Douglas MD-82
• Registration: B-2141
• MSN/LN: 49849/1772
• Engine: Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217A
• Year of Delivery: 1991
• Flight time: 26700 hours

See also

• List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft