CI 611
25 May 2002 · Mechanical & Structural FailureCHINA AIRLINES FLIGHT 611
Boeing 747-200 · China Airlines · Image: Wikimedia Commons
Why it happened
22-year-old tailstrike repair cracked open
Aft fuselage structure
Metal fatigue
Structural repair quality
Aircraft
Boeing 747-200
China Airlines
Route
Taipei–Chiang Kai-shek (TPE), Taiwan
→ Hong Kong (HKG)
People
225 on board
225 fatalities
Date
25 May 2002
Category
Mechanical & Structural Failure
Metal fatigue, broken parts, failed repairs.
THE STORY
A tailstrike repair 22 years earlier hid growing fatigue cracks. The 747 broke into four pieces at 35,000 ft over the Taiwan Strait.