Aircraft being damaged due to CBs and ATC refusals to deviate happens alot in China. I see Wechat pictures all the time from my Chinese first officers of some poor aircrafts radome damage etc. There is very seldom any CAAC report published (accessible and in English almost never) anyway.
Our feedback and tips from my Chinese airline on this issue is that the civilian controllers are often working under a lot of pressure from the military , and CANNOT authorise certain deviations on the tapes (they must cover their ass like everything in China) any greater than the military supervisor who is milling around the ATC consoles or sipping green tea in the cafe as approved him to.
Even if the airspace is clear of the military exercise at that moment (eg lunch time break) they still cannot (instant dismissal) clear civilian aircraft deviate into that zone. Sometimes these zones are not on the charts or notams. The CAAC charts my first officers use differ in areas and routes from the jeppesen charts foreign captains use.
I have been told numerous times by my management pilots , when faced with impenetrable bad weather to :
1) request deviate one side....x miles or a heading
2) request deviate the other side x miles or a heading
If both options denied do a 180.....and land if needed.
Most airlines in China live in fear of punishment from the authorities for any transgressions so will always prefer an operational delay or cost as opposed to a investigation , punishment and sanctions.
China airspace and ATC issues have no real focus on operational effectiveness or safety , only a power fight between the PLAF and the CAAC. With everyone covering their own personal ass on the day. The unfortunate foreign captain on this day learnt about flying in China the hard way.
Delta should push ICAO , IATA , and Flight Safety Foundation etc to look into these issues and contraventions in China .....but I predict like everyone else Delta won't want to upset the powers at be in Beijing and keep the money rolling in.
