CAAC Flight 301

CAAC Flight 301, a Hawker Siddeley Trident operated by CAAC Guangzhou Regional Administration from Guangzhou Baiyun to Hong Kong Kai Tak, ran off the runway in Hong Kong on 31 August 1988 after clipping approach lights. Six crew members and one passenger perished in the accident. The crash shut down Kai Tak Airport for more than six hours after the accident. Chinese plane crashes in Hong Kong harbor
" ''Associated Press'' at '' The Day'' (New London, Connecticut). Thursday 1 September 1988. p. D8. Retrieved from Google News on April 9, 2013.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a British-built Hawker Siddeley Trident 2E, powered by three Rolls-Royce Spey 512-5W, The first flight was in 1973. Total airframe hours were 14,332, C/n /msn 2159. Registration was B-2218.

Accident sequence

While on final approach to Kai Tak Airport, in rain with visibility, the right wing of the Hawker Siddeley Trident operating the flight clipped approach lights of Runway 31 and the main landing gear tyres hit the runway promontory, causing the right main landing gear to be ripped from the wing. The aircraft then became airborne and impacted the runway 600 metres further on. The aircraft then veered off the runway to the right and diagonally crossed the grassed runway strip surrounding it. The nose and left main landing gear then collapsed and the aircraft slid over the parallel taxiway and into Kowloon Bay.
The cockpit was cut off and the rest of the aircraft was intact. Attempts were made by divers to get to the cockpit where the flight crew were stationed but were unsuccessful, the cockpit crew were injured by the impact but autopsies showed that the cause of death was from drowning.

Passengers

Of the 89 occupants of the aircraft, seven died and an additional 15 received injuries. Of the dead, six were crew members and one was a Hong Kong passenger who succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. The dead crew members were in the front of the aircraft. Three crew members, all Chinese, received injuries and survived. Of the 12 American passengers, two received injuries. Seven Hong Kong passengers, two Taiwanese passengers, and one Frenchman received injuries. One injured passenger was a Chinese-American.

Investigation

The report noted "From the limited evidence available it was not possible to positively determine the cause of the accident. The report concludes that the final approach became unstable, and that windshear may have been a contributory factor. The final deviation below the normal approach path was probably due to a sudden reduction and distortion of the visual reference caused by heavy rain." The report further noted that "... The accident was survivable. The flight crew were not wearing shoulder harness. A sixth crew in the flight compartment was sitting on a small metal stool that was not fastened in any way.... There were no safety leaflet for passengers.... One cabin crew did not fasten her seat belt while landing.... No lifejackets were carried for passengers despite approaches and departures were over water".

See also

Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 Another crash that occurred later on the same day, also slid off the runway. Technically, it was still 30 August in Texas when the CAAC crash occurred, but it was the 31st in Hong Kong.

References

External links

Final Accident ReportArchive
– Civil Aviation Department
See entry at the HKU Library

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1988 in Hong Kong
CAAC accidents and incidents
Accidents and incidents involving the Hawker Siddeley Trident
Aviation accidents and incidents in 1988
Aviation accidents and incidents in Hong Kong
August 1988 in Asia