ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas MD-11 B-2171 Shemya, AK
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Tuesday 6 April 1993
Time:01:10 HST
Type:Silhouette image of generic MD11 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Operator:China Eastern Airlines
Registration: B-2171
MSN: 48495/461
First flight: 1991
Total airframe hrs:4810
Cycles:1571
Engines: 3 Pratt & Whitney PW4460
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 20
Passengers:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 235
Total:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 255
Aircraft damage: Minor
Aircraft fate: Repaired
Location:1760 km (1100 mls) S of Shemya, AK (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Shanghai-Hongqiao Airport (SHA/ZSSS), China
Destination airport:Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX), United States of America
Flightnumber: 583
Narrative:
China Eastern flight 583 had an inadvertent deployment of the leading edge wing slats while in cruise flight. The autopilot disconnected, and the captain was manually controlling the airplane when it progressed through several violent pitch oscillations and lost 5,000 feet of altitude. The captain regained stabilized flight, declared an emergency because of passenger injuries, and diverted to the US Air Force Base, Shemya, Alaska. Two passengers were fatally injured, and 149 passengers and 7 crewmembers received various injuries. The airplane did not receive external structural damage, but the passenger cabin was substantially damaged.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The inadequate design of the flap/slat actuation handle by the Douglas Aircraft Company that allowed the handle to be easily and inadvertently dislodged from the UP/RET position, thereby causing extension of the leading edge slats during cruise flight. The captain's attempt to recover from the slat extension, given the reduced longitudinal stability and the associated light control force characteristics of the MD-11 in cruise flight, led to several violent pitch oscillations.
Contributing to the violence of the pitch oscillations was the lack of specific MD-11 pilot training in recovery from high altitude upsets, and the influence of the stall warning system on the captain's control responses. Contributing to the severity of the injuries was the lack of seat restraint usage by the
occupants."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 204 days (7 months)
Accident number: NTSB/AAR-93/07
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Forced landing on runway

Sources:
» Air Safety Week 1 November 1993 (p. 1-3)
» Air Safety Week 19 April 93 (1,2)
» Air Safety Week 31 May 1993 (p. 1,2)
» Air Safety Week 12 April 1993 (p. 1,2)
» NTSB/AAR-93/07


Follow-up / safety actions

NTSB issued 13 Safety Recommendations

Show all...

Photos

photo of MD-11-B-2171
accident date: 06-04-1993
type: McDonnell Douglas MD-11
registration: B-2171
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Shanghai-Hongqiao Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, CA as the crow flies is 10376 km (6485 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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