On May 25, 2002, B-18255 was actually going to be sold to Orient Thai Airlines. This was the plane's last day of service with China Airlines. Takeoff was at 3.07 pm, and the plane was cleared to climb to 20,000 feet. At 3.16 pm the plane was again cleared to climb and maintain 35,000 feet. At about 3.30 pm, the plane was about to reach 35,000 feet when it suddenly disappeared from the radar systems of the air traffic controllers. Communications were also lost. No distress signals were sent out. However, two Cathay Pacific planes nearby received flight 611's emergency location-indicator signals.
Later, the investigators discovered that flight 611 broke apart in mid-air when as it was reaching 35,000 feet. All 225 people on the plane were killed. This was one of the worst disaster in aviation history involving explosive decompression. China Airlines has had nine fatal crashes between 1970 and 2002. This is the worst record in commercial aviation.
Shortly after the plane vanished, Taiwan launched one of the country's largest search-and-rescue operations. As the plane broke apart in mid-air, wreckage were spread over a large area and this makes it difficult to recover all the wreckage. When the search-and-rescue teams arrived, they realised they could not do anything-all 225 people onboard were dead.
When there was no more hope for survivors, the teams started to recover wreckage and human remains. These were sent to Penghu Islands. There, the wreckage were numbered and the human remains were sent for identification. In the end, out of 225 people on board, 175 bodies were recovered. 50 remain in the sea.
The investigation of the crash was by Aviation Safety Council (ASC) of Taiwan. During the investigation, it was found that the crash of China Airlines Flight 611 was similar with another crash, TWA flight 800. Investigators found out that both crashes had similar points such as:
However, unlike flight 800, investigators determined that flight 611 was not caused by a fuel tank explosion.
As the investigation continues, both recorders of the flight were recovered. However, investigators could not find any possible cause from the recorders as the flight data recorder showed that the plane was working properly before it broke up. The cockpit voice recorder also showed nothing unusual. The recorder started ten minutes before the flight. After a last sentence said by captain Yi Ching-Fung, "two thousand" at 3.26pm, the recorder captured nothing more spoken. Then, the sound of the plane breaking up was heard at about 3.29pm.
With nothing possible showing up, investigators decided to use a method that the investigators of TWA Flight 800 used. Using several pieces of wreckage, investigators were able to use a computer and find out which piece fell off first. This provided a major clue-the wreckage from the back of the plane fell first. So, investigators began looking for wreckage from the back of the plane.
Finally, investigators managed to find a piece of wreckage which was damaged in the tailstrike incident in 1980. A doubler plate was placed over the scratches that the tailstrike caused. The piece, item number 640, was sent to Taipei for further examination.
When investigators removed the doubler that was installed over Item 640, they found out that the scratches, caused by the tailstrike 22 years ago, were still there. This was not the proper way to repair the damage from the tailstrike. From this investigators found out what really happened 22 years ago.
According to the Boeing SRM (Structural Repair Manual), the scratches should be sanded down. But as the scratches caused by the tailstrike were too deep, the correct way to repair is to cut out the damaged section, then put a doubler plate that is 30% larger than the section that was cut out. However, in the repair of the accident plane, the workers did not follow the instructions. Instead they just placed a doubler plate over the damaged section, which was not 30% larger than the section that was supposed to be cut out. This weakened the structure behind the doubler. The workers then made one more mistake, by writing in the repair log that the repair was done correctly. So, anyone reading the log book would assume that the repair was done correctly and that the workers had cut out the damaged section and replaced it.
Over the years, the cracks under the doubler grew worse and worse. Every time the plane took off and landed the cracks increased in length, in the end reaching 2.3 metres. Then, on May 25, 2002, the cracks reached the breaking point. It grew in all directions and caused the whole tail to break away from the plane. The plane went into a steep dive and was torn apart.
Another possible reason why the mistake could not be found out is that the maintenance procedures of China Airlines. In 1988, the roof of Aloha Airlines Flight 243 peeled off when the plane was cruising, causing explosive decompression. The plane landed safely. After the accident, the FAA ordered that the airlines evaluate again all the previous repairs that was done on planes.
China Airlines began evaluating the repairs in 2001. The workers took photographs of 31 different doublers on different 747s, including the one on B-18255. Although there was a stain on the doubler, the workers chose to ignore it. The stain was actually caused by smoke as passengers were allowed to smoke until 1995. The smoke was forced out through the crack and nicotine stained the plane's skin. It was said in Mayday that if China Airlines went on to find out how the stain formed, they may find out the cracks and prevent the crash.
The workers then scheduled the next maintenance check, 7C, on November 2, 2002. The check would definitely have led the workers to find out the cracks. However, the plane crashed 5 months before the check.
China Airlines no longer uses 611 as its flight number.
What a Way to Go!
What a Way to Go! is a 1964 American romantic comedy musical movie. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson. It stars Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Robert Cummings and Dick Van Dyke. This movie was intended for Marilyn Monroe, but she died before the movie began filming.
Raskam
A part of the river valley is known to the Kyrgyz people as Raskam, and the river itself is also called the Raskam River. The river is also known as the Zarafshan River. The area was once claimed by the ruler of Hunza.
Sarin
Sarin (or GB) is a nerve gas, a deadly poison. It was developed as a chemical weapon for use in war by Nazi Germany.
It is classified as a weapon of mass destruction in UN Resolution 687. Production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993, and it is classified as a Schedule 1 substance according to the convention. That means that is a very dangerous chemical that has no use outside of chemical warfare.
Sarin can be lethal even at very low concentrations. Death comes in 1 to 10 minutes after breathing it in. It paralyses lung muscles. Antidotes, such as atropine, can save a person if given immediately.
People who get a non-lethal dose, but do not get immediate treatment, may suffer permanent neurological damage.
Like other nerve agents, sarin attacks the nervous system by stopping nerve endings in muscles from switching off. Death will usually occur as a result of asphyxia due to the inability to control the muscles involved in breathing function.
In vertebrates, acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter used at the neuromuscular junction, where signals are transmitted between neurons from the central nervous system to muscle fibres.
Normally, acetylcholine is released from the neuron to stimulate the muscle, after which it is degraded by acetylcholinesterase. This allows the muscle to relax. Inhibition of cholinesterase means the neurotransmitter continues to act on the muscle fibre. This stops breathing.