By Simon Hradecky, created Monday, Mar 21st 2016 15:55Z, last updated Tuesday, Mar 27th 2018 17:28Z A China Southern Airbus A319-100, registration B-6039 performing flight CZ-8444 from Cheongju (South Korea) to Dalian (China) with 90 people on board, was taxiing for departure in reduced visibility and had been instructed to hold short of runway 24R at taxiway A3 about 730 meters/2400 feet down the runway.



A Korean Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration HL7786 performing flight KE-1958 from Jeju to Cheongju (South Korea) with 137 people on board, had just touched down on runway 24R when the A319 went past the hold short line. The Boeing crew recognized the danger, pulled their aircraft to the very left edge of the runway managing to avoid the A319 by about 10 meters and rolled out without further incident returning the aircraft onto the runway center line.



South Korea's Ministry of Transport initiated an investigation into the serious incident stating, that the Boeing 737-800 even went beyond the left edge of the runway in order to avoid a collision. The minimum distance between the aircraft were 10 meters (wing tip of B738 to nose of A319). At the time runway 24L was not available for any operation (including taxi). The A319 had been instructed to hold short of the runway however did not comply with the instruction, the reasons are being investigated.



On Apr 1st 2016 the French BEA identified the A319 as B-6039 and reported, South Korea's ARAIB rated the occurrence a serious incident and is investigating.



On Apr 13th 2016 China's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) confirmed the occurrence stating that the minimum distance between wing tip of the Boeing and the nose of the A319 had been only 3 meters. China Southern initially did not report essential information and tried to avoid answering all the key questions to explain the occurrence, it also turned out the cockpit voice recorder was deleted. Only after further querying the airline came up with an explanation of the events stating the crew misunderstood an ATC instruction. The CAAC added, that there had been 21 occurrences of runway incursions in the recent 15 months in China, 4 of which were caused by China Southern (editorial note: none of which came into public knowledge following a drastic change of CAAC policy in about 2011 stopping public disclosure of occurrences and even removing information up to 2011 still present on their website up to 2015).



On Mar 27th 2018 South Korea's ARAIB released their final report in Korean concluding the probable cause of the serious incident was:



The crew of China Southern Airlines B-6039 mistook the clearance "Runway 24R, taxi via B3" as clearance to enter the runway at B3 and proceed to the take off position while the clearance actually meant: taxi to runway 24R via B3, hold short of runway 24R. The aircraft thus entered the runway without clearance while HL7786 was just landing on the runway.



Contributing factors were:



- Ground Control did not issue a hold short, holding point or end point in the taxi instruction to B-6039



- China Southern Airlines' training of ground control procedures and ground control procedures' language was insufficient



The ARAIB reported 3 meters of the Boeing 737-800's right hand wing tip would have hit the cockpit area of the A319, had the B738 crew not corrected about 6 meters to their left permitting their right hand wing tip to pass the cockpit of the A319 by 3 meters.



The ARAIB reported the A319 commander (37, ATPL, 11,032 hours total, 9,473 hours on type) occupied the right hand seat and held an ICAO English language rating E-4, the captain under supervision while undergoing line training (31, ATPL, 6,870 hours total, 6,620 hours on type) held an ICAO English language rating E-5 and occupied the left hand seat. A third pilot (28, CPL, 2,190 hours total, 1,900 hours on type), ICAO language rating E-4, occupied the observer's seat as a safety pilot.



The A319 was in contact with ground control and had been cleared "Runway 24R, taxi via B3, Altimeter 29.87" which did not include a clearance to enter the runway and should have resulted in the A319 stopping short of runway 24R at taxiway B3 at the hold short line. The crew however understood the instruction as clearance to enter runway 24R at B3 and backtrack the runway to taxi to the takeoff position. While still on ground control the aircraft thus passed the hold short line.



About 25 seconds after the A319 went across the hold short line the B738 touched down 2200 feet down runway 24R.



3 seconds later the A319 reached the right runway edge and crossed the runway edge beginning to turn to the left to backtrack the runway towards the takeoff position.



11 seconds after the B738 had touched down and about 4100 feet down the runway the crew sighted the A319 and, at a speed of 96.5 knots over ground, initiated an evasive maneouver turning to the left. The minimum distance between the A319's nose and the B738's wing tip was 3 meters/10 feet.



In the analysis portion of the report (not in the factual section) the ARAIB reported that the A319 crew after seeing the lights of the B738 stopped their aircraft, the nose of the A319 was 15 meters inside the runway edge at that point.



Following the occurrence ground control instructed the A319 to contact tower. The crew of the B738 explained the close encounter to tower, then turned around backtracking runway 24R to taxiway B3 and vacated the runway to the apron. The A319 reported on tower, backtracked runway 24R, lined up for departure and departed.



The ARAIB analysed that the two aircraft were on different frequencies, the controllers could not provide information about the other traffic on the other frequency. Unknown to the B738 crew the A319 taxied onto the runway as result of misunderstanding their clearance. When the B738 crew got sight of the A319 they used brakes and rudder to turn left, managed to steer the aircraft 6 meters to the left before passing the A319 thus missing the A319 by 3 meters. Had the B738 not turned left the right hand wing tip of the B738 and the nose of the A319 would have collided.



The ARAIB analysed that visibility was close to landing minimum due to fog. The tower controller thus was unable to see the A319 while it taxied towards the runway and crossed the hold short line. Equally, the ground controller was relying on position reports by the crews and could not see the A319 as it crossed the hold short line and taxied onto the runway. Ground controllers and tower controllers are responsible for the safe operation of the runway and therefore need to exchange information. If the aircraft are not visible due to weather or are not displayed on radar, their positions must be communicated before handing the aircraft over to the next controller.



The ground controller told the investigation that he had issued the taxi clearance, observed the A319 begin the taxi and turn into taxiway B3. He subsequently observed the B738 touch down, then announced the presence of the A319 at B3 to the tower controller and handed the A319 off to tower. The ground controller believed the A319 had not entered the runway, however, at that time the A319 had stopped already on the runway. The ARAIB annotated the aircraft had been handed off to tower without precise position information.



The ARAIB analysed that pilots should be trained thorougly in airport signs, markings and lightings. They should also be familiar with the phraseology of communication with ATC, in particular the necessity to obtain a specific clearance to enter a runway for crossing or lining up. They should also be trained in the procedures of ground control. The investigation found that the training materials of the airline did provide such information to the flight crew, it appeared however the training was insufficient. After initial training the crew was referred to self training, in particular ground control procedures. The crew should have obtained a specific clearance to enter the runway while approaching the hold short line of the runway marked with the hold short line as well as wig-wag lights, however, continued onto the runway without verifying their clearance to enter the runway. Given, that the crew held a language proficiency rating of at least E-4 there should have been no issue understanding the phraseology of ground control procedures.



The captain of the A319 was also responsible to be aware of their current position at any time. Should the captain become unsure of his position, he should contact air traffic control and apply the relevant ICAO procedures.



The ARAIB analysed that according to ICAO the phrases for issuing a taxi clearance were: "Runway (number), taxi via (route as necessary)" or "Runway (number), taxi via (route as necessary), (hold short instructions as necessary)". It is possible to issue that taxi instruction with or without the hold short instructions, as this ground based control term does not include any clearance to enter a runway. However, also according to ICAO recommendations, the hold short instructions are more clearly understood by flight crews.



There is no taxiway parallel to the runway, aircraft therefore need to enter the runway at taxiway A3 or B3 and backtrack the runway to the threshold for departure respective backtrack the runway to vacate the runway via taxiway A3 or B3 after landing.



In this scenario it is possible that two aircraft are on the runway at the same time, one backtracking for departure while the other is backtracking to vacate the runway. Misunderstandings appear possible therefore. It would thus be safer to issue taxi instructions with hold instructions such as "Runway 24R, taxi via B3, hold short runway 24R at B3".



The ARAIB analysed the crew resource management within the A319 cockpit. All pilots understood the clearance as "taxi to runway 24R", which further evolved into a "taxi down runway 24R". However, the phrase "Runway 24R, taxi via B3" should not be arbitrarily interpreted, the instruction clearly does not include a clearance to enter the runway. Either pilot in the cockpit should have recognized that they were not cleared to enter the runway and prevented crossing the hold short line. As such, the crew resource management within the cockpit broke down.



Metars:

RKTU 181500Z 09001KT 1600 BR FEW000 SCT200 05/05 Q1012 NOSIG=

RKTU 181415Z 05001KT 2400 BR FEW000 FEW200 05/05 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181400Z 08001KT 3200 BR FEW000 FEW200 06/06 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181300Z 22002KT 3200 BR FEW000 SCT200 07/07 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181247Z 22003KT 4000 BR NSC 07/07 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181200Z 01001KT 4800 BR NSC 08/08 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181100Z 15001KT 8000 FEW030 SCT200 09/08 Q1010 NOSIG=

RKTU 181000Z 31001KT 6000 FEW030 SCT200 12/10 Q1009 NOSIG=

RKTU 180900Z 33001KT 6000 FEW030 14/10 Q1009 NOSIG=

RKTU 180835Z 14001KT 4800 BR FEW020 BKN030 14/10 Q1009 NOSIG=



The scenario at taxiway B3 (Graphics: ARAIB):





Movement pathes of both aircraft (Graphics: ARAIB):





Excerpt of Aerodrome Chart Cheongju (Graphics: AIP South Korea): </s> The Latest on Boeing's 737 Max 8 model after a crash in Ethiopia (all times local):

Mideast budget airline FlyDubai says it will continue to fly Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft after reviewing a recent U.S. regulator statement about the aircraft.

Several airlines around the world have grounded the planes after a fatal crash in Ethiopia on Sunday and one in Indonesia last year.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that while others have drawn similarities between the Indonesia and Ethiopia crashes, the agency was not. The FAA also said that no later than April it expects Boeing will complete changes, including new training for pilots in automated anti-stall technology that is suspected of playing a role in the Indonesia crash.

FlyDubai said Tuesday that "no further action is required at this time" over the aircraft, which is a workhorse in the Dubai government-owned carrier's fleet.

FlyDubai' statement Tuesday comes after it said Monday that it remains "confident in the airworthiness of our fleet."

India's Jet Airways says it has grounded its five Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft after a crash in Ethiopia that killed all 157 people on board.

The airline said it is not flying any of the 737 Max planes in its fleet and is "in contact with the manufacturer."

On Monday, India's aviation watchdog said it ordered a safety assessment of the aircraft. It also issued safety instructions for flying Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.

The directions call for the pilot-in-command to have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience and the co-pilot to have 500 hours on Boeing 737 NG type aircraft.

Indian airline SpiceJet also has Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, but it's unclear if those planes are grounded. Calls and emails to the company were unanswered Tuesday.

South Korean transportation authorities are conducting a safety inspection of a local airline that uses the same aircraft involved in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people.

An official from low-cost carrier Eastar Jet said Tuesday it doesn't have immediate plans to suspend operations of its two Boeing 737 Max 8 planes it uses on routes to Japan and Thailand. He said it will wait for the inspection's outcome.

No other South Korean carriers operate the plane. South Korea's Transportation Ministry says the inspection on Eastar began hours after the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

The Eastar official says government officials are reviewing Eastar's flight operation manuals and the planes' machinery and software. She said the airline was getting calls from worried customers, but no cancellations.

Singapore's civil aviation authority says it has temporarily banned all Boeing 737 Max planes from entering and leaving the country.

It noted in a statement on Tuesday that there have been two fatal accidents involving the aircraft in less than five months. Sunday's deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 killed all 157 people on board.

The authority said the suspension starting later Tuesday will be "reviewed as relevant safety information becomes available."

The suspension will affect SilkAir, a regional carrier that's wholly owned by Singapore Airlines. It has six Boeing 737 Max 8 planes.

The authority said that flights to Singapore by China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Shandong Airlines and Thai Lion Air will also be affected.

Fiji Airways says it will continue flying its two Boeing 737 Max 8 planes to Pacific destinations.

Some airlines have grounded their Max 8 planes after an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people. Another Max 8 plane crashed in Indonesia last year.

Fiji's national carrier said in a statement Tuesday it's following the situation closely and has full confidence in the airworthiness of its fleet. The airline says it mainly uses the MAX 8 planes on routes connecting Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority said Fiji Airways was the only carrier landing MAX 8 planes in New Zealand and it could continue doing so.

In the United States, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said her department was monitoring developments. The FAA noted the investigation into the crash had just begun and it has not yet drawn similarities between the Indonesia and Ethiopia crashes.

India's aviation watchdog issued safety instructions after the Ethiopia crash, calling for the pilot-in-command to have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience and the co-pilot to have 500 hours on Boeing 737 NG type aircraft.

Brazil's Gol Airlines is suspending the use of its 121 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft following the deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash involving the same airplane.

The company said in a press release Monday night that as of 8 p.m. local time it would be temporarily stopping the commercial use of the airplanes.

The statement says Gol is fully confident in Boeing's safety operations and it is following updates about the investigation into the 737 Max 8 in order to return the aircraft to use as soon as possible.

Gol says that since it started using the Boeing 737 Max 8 last June, the aircraft have made nearly 3,000 flights with "total security and efficiency."

The Mexican airline Aeromexico says it is suspending flights with its six Boeing 737 Max 8 jetliners following the crash of a Max 8 aircraft in Ethiopia that killed 157 people.

The company says it trusts "fully" in the safety of its fleet but adds that the grounding has been ordered to ensure "the safety of its operations and the peace of mind of its customers."

A statement issued Monday evening says the airline is in communication with Boeing as well as aviation authorities about the plane model. It says other planes will take over the flights usually flown by its Max 8 jets.

Airlines in Ethiopia, China and Indonesia have temporarily grounded their Max 8s, in addition to Caribbean carrier Cayman Airways, Comair in South Africa and Royal Air Maroc in Morocco

The Federal Aviation Administration says it expects Boeing will soon complete improvements to an automated anti-stall system that is suspected of contributing to a deadly crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 in October.

The FAA said Monday that Boeing will also update training requirements and flight crew manuals related to the system.

The system automatically points the plane's nose down if sensors indicate the plane could be in danger of losing lift, or stalling. Sensors on the plane operated by Indonesia's Lion Air gave out faulty readings on its last four flights.

On the fatal October flight, pilots apparently struggled in vain to fight against the automated nose-down commands.

The FAA tried to discourage comparisons between the Lion Air crash and Sunday's deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8. Both performed erratically shortly after takeoff, then went into nosedives. Weather did not appear to be a factor in either one.

"External reports are drawing similarities between (the Ethiopian) accident and the Lion Air Flight 610 accident," the FAA said. "However, this investigation has just begun and to date we have not been provided data to draw any conclusions or take any actions."

State-run carrier Oman Air says it is in close contact with Boeing after the crash of an Ethiopian jetliner, the same model that it uses widely.

Oman Air tweeted Monday that is talking to Boeing "to understand if there are any implications" for other airlines operating Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

It added: "Oman Air's primary and overriding consideration is the safety and well-being of its staff and guests."

Oman Air operates five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Oman is a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula.

The crash of the Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 on Sunday killed 157 people. A similar Lion Air plane crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189 people.

Chinese and Indonesian regulators ordered their airlines to temporarily ground their Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes.

Indonesia has grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes for inspections following the Ethiopian Airlines crash, the second for the new aircraft since October.

Director General of Air Transportation Polana B. Pramesti said the grounding was taken to ensure flight safety in Indonesia. He said the inspections will ensure the planes are airworthy.

The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 killed 157 people Sunday. A Lion Air model of the same plane crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189 people.

There are currently 11 MAX 8 planes operated by airlines in Indonesia including 10 by Lion Air and 1 by national carrier Garuda.

Boeing says it is not issuing new guidance to airlines about its 737 Max 8 aircraft after a second fatal crash on Sunday.

A statement Monday referred questions about the grounding of planes to airlines and aviation authorities. It said "at this point, based on the information available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators."

China has ordered its airlines to ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft by 6 p.m., and Ethiopian Airlines and Cayman Airways both are doing the same.

A crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 killed 157 people Sunday. A Lion Air model of the same plane crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189 people.

A spokesman says Ethiopian Airlines has grounded all its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft as a safety precaution.

Asrat Begashaw said Monday that although it is not yet known what caused the crash on Sunday, the airline decided to ground its remaining four 737 Max 8 planes until further notice as "an extra safety precaution." Ethiopian Airlines was using five new 737 Max 8 planes and was awaiting delivery of 25 more.

Begashaw said searching and digging to uncover body parts and aircraft debris will continue. He said forensic experts from Israel have arrived in Ethiopia to help with the investigation.

The Middle Eastern budget carrier FlyDubai says it is in touch with Boeing and "monitoring the situation" regarding its 737 Max 8 aircraft, but has faith in its planes' airworthiness following an Ethiopian Airlines crash involving the model.

FlyDubai operates 11 Boeing 737 MAX-8 and two Boeing MAX-9 jetliners. The Dubai government-owned airline said in emailed statements Monday that it "went through a rigorous process" to choose the right aircraft for its operations and noted that it adheres to all regulations regarding its planes.

It says it remains "confident in the airworthiness of our fleet."

The Ethiopian crash killed 157 people aboard on Sunday. Chinese regulators ordered all Chinese airlines to temporarily ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes on Monday.

Cayman Airways says it is temporarily grounding the two Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft it operates in the wake of an Ethiopian Airlines crash involving the same plane model.

The Caribbean carrier said the grounding would take effect Monday. While he acknowledged the cause of the Ethiopian crash was unclear, airline President and CEO Fabian Whorms said the airline was taking the step because of its "commitment to putting the safety of our passengers and crew first."

He said the move would lead to scheduling changes as the carrier copes with aircraft shortages.

Cayman received its first Max 8 in November and its second just this month.

The airline is the flag carrier of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory.

The head of Indonesia's national transport safety agency says it will offer to assist the Ethiopian investigation into the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane.

The same model of plane, operated by Lion Air, crashed in Indonesia in October, killing all 189 people on board. Like the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday, which killed 157 people, the Lion Air jet had erratic speed in the few minutes it was in the air.

Soerjanto Tjahjono, chairman of the National Safety Transportation Board, said Monday that Indonesia can be a party to Ethiopia's investigation because one of its citizens was among those who died in the crash.

He said, "However, we will also offer to assist the investigation process." </s> An Air China Airbus A330-300 was severely damaged by a cargo hold fire at Beijing Capital International Airport Aug. 27 as passengers were boarding for a flight to Tokyo Haneda.

When smoke appeared from the forward cargo hold, the crew immediately ordered passengers to evacuate the aircraft, Air China said.

The crew members also implemented fire extinguishing procedures, the company said. Despite their efforts, the fire was serious enough to emit black smoke thick enough to obscure part of the airport’s Terminal 3, where the A330 was standing, photographs posted on social media show.

Smoke also emerged from the rear fuselage.

The fire appears to have burned through the top of the fuselage just ahead of the wing and just behind the forward doors.

The cause is under investigation, Air China said.

The aircraft, registered as B-5958 and equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, was delivered in 2014. </s> ADDIS ABABA/BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Ethiopia grounded their Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 fleets on Monday while investigators found the black box from a crash that killed 157 people in the second disaster involving that airplane model in the last six months.

The Ethiopian Airlines jet bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa on Sunday, killing all on board.

The victims came from 33 nations and included 22 United Nations’ staff.

The discovery of the black box, reported by Ethiopian state TV, may shed light on the cause, though there was no immediate indication if it was the flight data or cockpit voice recorder.

At the scene, men in Red Cross jackets picked through the dirt, putting items in black paper bags, while investigators hunted for the black box voice recorders.

“Although we don’t yet know the cause of the crash, we had to decide to ground the particular fleet as extra safety precaution,” Ethiopian Airlines said. It has four other 737 MAX 8 jets, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

China on Monday also ordered its airlines to suspend operations of their 737 MAX 8 jets by 6 p.m. (1000 GMT) following the crash, the second of a Boeing 737 MAX jet since one run by Indonesia’s Lion Air crashed in October.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it would notify airlines when they could resume flying the jets, after contacting Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737-8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity,” the CAAC said, adding the step was in line with its principle of zero tolerance of safety hazards. The 737 MAX 8 is sometimes referred to as the 737-8.

A senior U.S. government official said it was too early to tell if there was any direct connection between the two accidents, but that reviewing the issue would be among the top priorities for investigators.

Ethiopia’s parliament declared Monday a day of mourning, while a global summit in Nairobi opened with a moment of silence as some wept for the U.N. members killed in one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the organization’s history.

The dead include a 28-year-old Norwegian Red Cross worker, three Austrian aid workers on their way to Zanzibar, a Nigerian-Canadian professor known for mentoring young colleagues, and an Italian archaeologist, employers and foreign ministries said.

The pilot Yared Getachew, who was a joint Ethiopian-Kenyan national, had a “commendable record” and more than 8,000 hours of flying experience, the airline said.

Kenyan authorities had managed to contact the families of 25 of the 32 Kenyan passengers, cabinet secretary for transport James Macharia told journalists at the airport on Monday.

The 737 is the world’s best selling modern passenger aircraft and is seen as one of the industry’s most reliable. </s> BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on Boeing's 737 Max 8 model after a crash in Ethiopia (all times local):

China's civilian aviation authority has ordered all Chinese airlines to temporarily ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after one of the aircraft crashed in Ethiopia.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China said the order was issued at 9 a.m. Beijing time Monday and would last nine hours.

It said the order was taken out of safety concerns because the crash was the second after another of the planes fell into the ocean off the coast of Indonesia in similar circumstances on Dec. 29, killing all aboard.

It said further notice would be issued after consultation with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing on safety measures taken.

Eight Chinese nationals were among the 157 people aboard the plane when it crashed Sunday shortly after takeoff.

Boeing's newest version of its most popular plane is again in the spotlight after a deadly accident in Ethiopia.

A Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed shortly after taking off Sunday from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board.

The plane was new. The weather was clear. Yet something was wrong, and the pilots tried to return to the airport. They never made it.

Those circumstances make the accident eerily similar to an October crash in Indonesia that killed all 189 people on the plane.

Safety experts are noticing the similarities but say a verdict on the plane should wait until investigations are complete.

Boeing says its plane is safe. The company's sales didn't suffer after the Indonesia crash, and its stock price has soared. </s> Emergency services were scrambled at Beijing International Airport (PEK) after smoke started billowing out of an Air China A330.

Huge plumes of smoke were seen coming out of the aircraft during a turnaround of flight number CA976 between Singapore and Beijing. While passengers were starting to board the aircraft, believed to be registered B-5958, smoke suddenly started coming out of the cargo compartment.

Passengers and crew safely evacuated the aircraft

As emergency services rushed to the scene, passengers and crew members safely evacuated the aircraft using the jetway.

Video clip taken by passenger inside the terminal pic.twitter.com/4KnIhzoGIO Featured Video: — ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) August 27, 2019

Passengers who were supposed to fly on the A330 to Tokyo Haneda immediately took to social media, posting shocking videos of the fire on Twitter.

Having had a look at the videos and photos of the incident, it would appear as if the plane may be beyond repair. It looks to have suffered severe damage to the fuselage.

Beijing Airport issued a statement about the incident

Beijing Airport authorities issued a statement confirming that it was a storage unit aboard the aircraft that was on fire.

The statement reads: “After discussions with the airport staff, it is understood that there are no flames detected on the plane.

“There are no passengers on board.

“We have activated certain protocols to handle the situation. The airport is now running on a normal schedule.”

Air China confirmed the incident on Weibo

Air China also confirmed the incident on the Chinese version of Twitter called Weibo that said the following: “Smoke was detected during boarding in the storage unit of flight CA183, which is set to fly from Beijing to Tokyo.”

Crew evacuated last from the front jet bridge. pic.twitter.com/HM31pj7PRs — ChinaAviationReview (@ChinaAvReview) August 27, 2019

“Crew members and airport staff have successfully put out the smoke. We are investigating the cause of the incident.”

This remains a breaking story which we will update as soon as we receive more news. </s> Boeing shares fell more than 9 per cent Monday in pre-market trading

Aviation authorities in China, Indonesia and Ethiopia ordered airlines to ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes Monday after one crashed in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board.

The crash of the Ethiopian Airlines jet shortly after it took off from Addis Ababa on Sunday is drawing renewed scrutiny of the plane just four months after a similar crash of the same model that killed 189 people in Indonesia.

Chicago-based Boeing said it did not intend to issue any new guidance to its customers. It does plan to send a technical team to the crash site to help Ethiopian and U.S. investigators.

The 737 is the bestselling airliner in history, and the Max, the newest version of it with more fuel-efficient engines, is a central part of Boeing’s strategy to compete with European rival Airbus.

“Safety is our number one priority and we are taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident, working closely with the investigating team and all regulatory authorities involved,” the company said in a statement.

A spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines, Asrat Begashaw, said the carrier had grounded its remaining four 737 Max 8 planes until further notice as an “extra safety precaution.”

The airline had been using five new 737 Max 8s and awaiting delivery of 25 more. Asrat said the search for body parts and debris from the crash was continuing.

China’s Civil Aviation Administration said that it ordered airlines to ground all 737 Max 8 aircraft, in line with the principle of “zero tolerance for security risks.”

It said it would issue further notices after consulting with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

READ MORE: Mother, young daughter from Edmonton killed in Ethiopian plane crash

READ MORE: Canadians mourn as victims of Ethiopian Airlines crash identified

Chinese carriers and leasing companies operate 96 Boeing 737 8 MAXs, according to the government, with dozens more believed to be on order. China Southern Airlines is one of Boeing’s biggest customers for the aircraft.

Indonesia also grounded 11 737 Max 8s for inspections to ensure flight safety and that the planes are airworthy, said Director General of Air Transportation Polana B. Pramesti.

Cayman Airways also said it was temporarily grounding two Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.

Real time flight radar apps showed dozens of the aircraft still operating around the globe.

The head of Indonesia’s national transport safety agency, Soerjanto Thahjono, offered to aid the Ethiopian investigation into Sunday’s crash.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board likewise said it was sending a team to help Ethiopian authorities. Boeing and the U.S. investigative agency are also involved in the probe into the Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October.

Like the Ethiopian Airlines crash, which happened minutes after the jet’s takeoff from Addis Ababa, the Lion Air jet that crashed off Indonesia had erratic speed during the few minutes it was in the air.

Safety experts cautioned, however, against drawing too many parallels between the two disasters.

“I do hope though that people will wait for the first results of the investigation instead of jumping to conclusions based on the very little facts that we know so far,” said Harro Ranter, founder of the Aviation Safety Network, which compiles information about accidents worldwide.

The situation will be better understood after investigators analyze the Ethiopian plane’s black boxes, said William Waldock, an aviation-safety professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. An airline official said Monday that the black box and cockpit voice recorder had been found, but the box was partially damaged.

Waldock said the way the planes both crashed — a fatal nosedive — was likely to raise suspicion. Boeing will likely look more closely at the flight-management system and automation on the Max, he said.

“Investigators are not big believers in coincidence,” he said.

Boeing has delivered about 350 737 Max planes to scores of airlines and has orders for more than 5,000.

Shares in the company fell more than 9 per cent Monday in pre-market trading.

Alan Diehl, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator, said reports of large variations in vertical speed during the Ethiopian jetliner’s ascent were “clearly suggesting a potential controllability problem.”

Other possible causes include engine problems, pilot error, weight load, sabotage or bird strikes, he said.

Ethiopian has a good reputation and the company’s CEO told reporters no problems were spotted before Sunday’s fight. But investigators also will look into the plane’s maintenance, which may have been an issue in the Lion Air crash.

Days after the Indonesian accident, Boeing notified airlines that faulty information from a sensor could cause the plane to automatically point the nose down. The automated system kicks in if sensors indicate that a plane is about to lose lift, or go into an aerodynamic stall. Gaining speed by diving can prevent a stall.

The notice reminded pilots of the procedure for handling such a situation, which is to disable the system causing the automatic nose-down movements.

Indonesian investigators are examining whether faulty readings from a sensor might have triggered the automatic nose-down command to the plane, which the Lion Air pilots fought unsuccessfully to overcome.

The Lion Air plane’s flight data recorder showed problems with an airspeed indicator on at least four previous flights, although the airline initially said the problem was fixed.

Boeing Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg said in December that the Max is a safe plane.

Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, and AP Airlines Writer David Koenig in Dallas, Texas, contributed to this report.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. </s> South Korean jets fired warning shots after a Russian military plane violated South Korea's airspace on Tuesday, Seoul officials said, in the first such incident between the countries.

Three Russian military planes initially entered South Korea's air defence identification zone off its east coast before one of them entered the country's territorial sky, the South's Defence Ministry said.

South Korean fighter jets then scrambled to the area to fire warning shots, a ministry official said, requesting anonymity due to department rules.

The Russian plane left the area but it returned and violated the South Korean airspace again later Tuesday, the ministry official said. He said the South Korean fighter jets fired warning shots again. Each time, the Russian plane didn't return fire, the official said.

It was the first time a Russian military plane violated South Korean airspace, according to South Korean officials.

The airspace the Russian plane violated was above a group of South Korean-held islets roughly halfway between South Korea and Japan that has been a source of territorial disputes between them. Russia isn't a party in those disputes.

The three Russian planes had entered the South Korean air defence identification zone with two Chinese military planes. But it wasn't immediately known whether the two countries deliberately did so, according to the South Korean official.

Before their joint flights with the Russian planes, the Chinese planes entered South Korea's air defence identification zone off its southwest coast earlier Tuesday, according to the South Korean official. Chinese planes have occasionally entered South Korea's air defence identification zone in recent years.

South Korea's Defence Ministry said it plans to summon Russian and Chinese Embassy officials later Tuesday to register formal protests. </s> A Sichuan Airlines co-pilot was sucked halfway out of an aircraft’s cockpit when its windshield shattered during a flight, Chinese state media has reported.

Captain Liu Chuanjian and his crew were praised for making an emergency landing after the incident, which occurred Monday morning at 30,000 feet on an Airbus A319 flight from the southern city of Chongqing to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.

“The situation was very critical. The windshield was blown off at a 10,000-meter-high altitude. The aircraft was in a state of low pressure and a temperature was minus 30 to minus 40 degree Celsius,” Jiang Wenxue, a Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) official, was quoted as saying by state news agency Xinhua.

The co-pilot almost got sucked out of the cockpit but kept calm, according to Chinese state television station CCTV.

“There was no sign before the windshield burst. Just a huge noise,” Capt. Liu said, according to state news agency China News Service.

“When I looked at the other side, the co-pilot was partially blown out of the aircraft. Luckily, he had the belt buckled up. Many devices were malfunctioned and the plane was jolting strongly. It was very difficult to control,” he added.

The co-pilot suffered scratches and a sprained wrist, the CAA said, adding that a flight attendant was also injured. None of the plane’s 119 passengers were injured and the aircraft safely landed at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport in southern China.

However, passengers and crew described frightening scenes on board the plane during the incident.

“All people were shouting onboard. We just tried our best to reassure the passengers and make everyone believe us that we could touch down safely,” Zhou Yanwen, the injured flight attendant, was quoted as saying by China News Service.

“It happened as the flight attendants were serving our meals. People were shocked,” the agency quoted an unnamed passenger as saying.

Zhou said that some air stewardesses were thrown into air and that food was strewn about.

The windshield shattered over the southwest city of Chengdu about 80 minutes after flight 3U8633 took off at 6:27 a.m. local time (10:27 GMT), the CAA said in statement released by CCTV.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

Chinese people praised the pilot as an “epic hero” on social media, according to China News Service.

“The crew were level-headed and dealt with the crisis decisively and properly, avoiding a major disaster, which shows the superb technical skills and professionalism,” the CAA added.

The incident came nearly a month after the death of a woman who was partially sucked out of a window that broke during a Southwest Airlines flight over the United States.

Southwest passenger Jennifer Riordan died as a result of injuries she suffered in that April 17 flight. Something in the engine broke apart midair, and debris broke a window, passengers said, pulling part of Riordan’s body out as passengers tried to pull her back in. That incident is under investigation.
The South Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board issues its final report on the March 2016 near-collision between a China Southern Airbus A319 and a Korean Air Boeing 737-800 on a runway in Cheongju, South Korea. The Board reports the Airbus crew misunderstood the full meaning of the specific ground control runway instruction.