China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509

China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509

File:China Southwest Airlines Tupolev Tu-154M Maiwald.jpg A China Southwest Airlines Tupolev Tu-154M Similar to the one involved
Accident summary
Date	February 24, 1999
Summary	Mechanical failure of aircraft tail section caused by improper maintenance
Site	Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Passengers	50
Crew	11
Fatalities	61 (all)
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Tupolev Tu-154M
Operator	China Southwest Airlines
Registration	B-2622

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.

Following the incident all Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft in China were taken out of service.

Aircraft

• Model: Tupolev Tu-154M
• Registration: B-2622
• Serial Number: 90A-846
• Engine: Soloviev D-30
• Year of Delivery: 1990

Crew members

• Captain: Yao Fuchen (姚福臣);
• First Officer: Xue Mao (薛冒);
• Flight Engineer: Guo Shuming (郭树铭);
• Flight Navigator: Lang Zhanfeng (郎占锋).

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.

See also

• China Southwest Airlines Flight 4146, another aviation disaster caused by poor maintenance.

External links

• Accident database from airdisaster.com
• Full Investigation Report (in Chinese)