China Airlines Flight 642
A Mandarin Airlines MD-11 similar to the aircraft involved
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 August 1999 |
| Summary | Pilot error aggravated by inclement weather |
| Site | Hong Kong International Airport |
| Passengers | 300 |
| Crew | 15 |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 208 (44 serious, 164 minor) |
| Survivors | 312 |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas MD-11 |
| Operator | China Airlines dba Mandarin Airlines |
| Registration | B-150 |
| Flight origin | Don Mueang International Airport |
| Stopover | Hong Kong International Airport |
| Destination | Chiang Kai-shek International Airport |
 Photos of Mandarin Airlines Flight 642
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China Airlines Flight 642 was a flight that crashed at Hong Kong International Airport on 22 August 1999. It was operating from Bangkok (Bangkok International Airport, now renamed Don Mueang International Airport) to Taipei with a stopover in Hong Kong.
The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (registration B-150), was operated by subsidiary Mandarin Airlines on behalf of China Airlines. While landing during a typhoon, it touched down hard, flipped over and caught fire. Of the 315 people on board, 312 survived and three were killed.
The route continues to operate today with the flight no longer originating in Bangkok and is strictly a Hong Kong-Taipei route. Bangkok-Hong Kong service ended on 31 October 2010. The route is now flown by a Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A330-300.
Flight 642 was one of only two hull losses of MD-11s with passenger configuration, the other being Swissair Flight 111, which crashed in 1998 with 229 fatalities. All other hull losses of MD-11s have been when the aircraft has been serving as a cargo aircraft.
At about 6:43 P.M. local time (1043 UTC) on 22 August 1999, the MD-11 was making its final approach to runway 25L when Typhoon Sam was 50 km NE of the airport. At an altitude of 700 feet prior to touchdown a further wind check was passed to the crew: 320 deg/28 knots gusting to 36 knots. This results in a crosswind component of 21.4 knots gusting to 27.5 knots, while the tested limit for the aircraft was 35 knots.
During the final flare to land, the plane rolled to the right, landed hard on its right main gear and the No. 3 engine touched the runway. The right wing separated from the fuselage. The aircraft continued to roll over and skidded off the runway in flames. When it stopped, it was on its back and the rear of the plane was on fire, coming to rest on a grass area next to the runway, 1,100 m from the runway threshold. The right wing was found on a taxiway 90 meters from the nose of the plane. As shown in photos of the aircraft at rest, the fire caused significant damage to the rear section of the aircraft but was quickly extinguished due to the heavy rain and quick response from rescue teams in the airport.
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Wikipedia