Peanut Butter, that's very interesting...

It seems almost too awesome a coincidence that this plane crashed on its last revenue flight (having said that - Peanut Butter, what's your source for this piece of info?)

I've often wondered about the economic temptation that airlines must have to under service airframes that are about to be sold on. I wonder how many 'known but acceptable' faults this particular B747-200 was flying with...

Does anyone have any first hand experience of CI's record in this particular area? Has anyone, for example, acquired an ex-CI aircraft?

Sorry to be feeding speculation - but that's life and this *is* a rumour network!

J-Class:

I just happened to be like Stickyb which I know both Cantonese and Mandarin and also having access to local media. (Thank god for Satallite TV!)

I wonder if there's any chance that the forum members could cite a few facts or rumours of facts regarding this accident before insuating defects in safety.

I don't mind commenting about facts and what if's but slagging matches aint my game.

Early on I heard that the aircraft was at 35000 ft, if true, then any fuel in the tanks is surely way above ignition temps.

I also heard that local farmers had found a piece with a logo on it in their field. This could be sgnificant. Anybody with more info?

I can't recall any previous history with B747 that lead to any suspicion of cause for a flight just after reaching 35,000 ft either as a mechanical or crew error

What we really need is the ability to edit the thread titles so that the readers can understand what the cntinuing thread is about.

For instance I've seen thread titles in the past where the title screams that XXX Crashed today !! yet the thread is days old and its really all about an old crash. (figuring that planes crash once a week )

Then we have the multiple threads about this latest China Crash saying the plane is missing, when in fact wreckage has been found.

These thread titles are too time specific and therefor short lived.

If I was a moderator, I would merge them into a more general thread early on.

As far as I can tell from HK TV with the aid of some local translation, there is debris spread over a very wide area (on land and sea) which is being taken to show a substantial midair breakup. It is also reported that two nearby CX pilots report hearing a distress call from the CI plane, but there are no further details.

On the TV news here they are showing much light weight scattered wind blown debris being picked up on the island. Paper, light weight insulation material etc.

Christep:

I'm pretty sure the distress calls are from the ELT, There were no radio transmission that I know of which indicates a distress call. I'm also seeing pictures of baggage tags, cash, traveller's cheque and other debris lying around.

There's all sorts of rumors about the cause of the crash like CAT, being struck by a meteor, or even a terrorist bomb plot....perhaps another conspiracy after TWA800? :D

The airline has posted a complete crew and passenger list, plus other bits of information, here:

http://www.china-airlines.com/us/index.htm

Initial media reports said missing. Later confirmed as a loss.

My condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of those who perished in the crash.
Another sad day for the aviation community.

Thats really going to help Analyser.
Talk about well worn cliches !!!
I thought we were going to give up all that crap.
It means ABSOLUTLY NOTHING !!

It is simply Mealy Mouthed Garbage

Within seconds, the Boeing vs Airbus neanderthals swarmed in like weird piranhas...

Just following on from the "last commercial flight...." point. I have no idea as to the ownership/lease state of the aircraft but if it was subject to some kind of leasing deal they usually require the aircraft to be returned in the state in which it was first obtained. So as such, would have to be kept up to date with maintenance etc. In my limited experience of obtaining previously owned/leased aircraft there are always "minor" tech problems but usually associated with the leasing requirements not airworthiness requirements. For what it's worth...

Crew List
 

Thanks stickyb.
Can anyone translate and post the Tech Crew names?

Excerpts from the New York Times:

"The Aviation Safety Council, Taiwan's air safety regulator, said rescuers began finding bodies and wreckage in the water less than three hours later about 12 miles north of Makung, the county seat of the Penghu Islands near the southern end of the Taiwan Strait. That would put the crash site within Taiwan waters....

"Papers and even foam scraps from the aircraft's seats began floating into rice paddies up to 60 miles east of the crash site on the main island of Taiwan, local television here reported, prompting discussion of whether the plane came apart at high altitude......

"Civilian and military rescuers plan to begin an underwater search on Sunday morning; the plane crashed in about 80 feet of water."

If 80 feet is accurate, that should help in recovery of the recorders. And IF the 'foam scraps from seats' is also accurate, that may indicate an explosive decompression at 35000 feet.

There are many ways to Romanize Chinese names, especially in Taiwan. I will try to use a simplified variation of Wade-Giles that is commonly used in Taiwan (and China's Hanyu Pinyin in parenthesis)

Captain: Yi Ching-Fung (Yi Qing-Feng)
Co-pilot: Hsieh Ya-Hsiung (Xie Ya-Xiong)
Flight Engineer: Chao Sheng-Kuo (Zhao Sheng-Guo)

Psittacine, if you follow the link I gave earlier, look at the 1900 hours release, and you will seee the names there, along with such things as flying hours.
Alternatively, here:
http://www.china-airlines.com/us/e_n.../20020525b.htm

Terribly sad for all concerned. Media started reporting the story where I live by showing footage of the families as usual being swarmed at the airport by camera crews itching to get that heartbreaking facial expression or first tear. Am I the only one whos getting thoroughly sick of having the media treat the worst moment in these peoples lives as an opportunity to score rating points? If someone did that to me at the airport theyd have a whole new story on their withered little hands.

From the Ananova site.


--------------------------------------------------------------
China Airlines jet broke up in the sky.

A Hong Kong-bound China Airlines jet broke up in the sky before crashing into the Taiwan Strait with 225 people on board, says the chief Taiwanese crash investigator.

Military radar provided a clear picture of the Boeing 747- 200 splitting up into four pieces, said Kay Yong, managing director of Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council.

"There was an in-flight break-up above the altitude of 30 thousand feet. We are very positive about this," he said.
---------------------------------------------------------------

You can hardly blame that on the crew or China Airlines, it would seem.