ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82) B-2138 Dalian
ASN logo
 

Status:Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Date:Tuesday 7 May 2002
Time:21:32
Type:Silhouette image of generic MD82 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82)
Operator:China Northern Airlines
Registration: B-2138
MSN: 49522/1702
First flight: 1990
Total airframe hrs:26000
Cycles:16000
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-217A
Crew:Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Passengers:Fatalities: 103 / Occupants: 103
Total:Fatalities: 112 / Occupants: 112
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:20 km (12.5 mls) E off Dalian (   China)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Beijing-Capital International Airport (PEK/ZBAA), China
Destination airport:Dalian Airport (DLC/ZYTL), China
Flightnumber:6163
Narrative:
China Northern Airlines Flight 6163 departed Beijing, China, at 20:37, for a planned one hour and three minutes flight to Dalian.
As the aircraft was descending towards Dalian, the flight crew reported a fire on board. Contact was lost at 21:32 hours.
The aircraft impacted the sea, 20 km off Dalian. All 112 occupants were killed in the accident.
The cockpit voice recorder was recovered from the sea on May 14, followed by the flight data recorder on May 18, 2002.
This MD-82 was built in China under licence from McDonnell Douglas by Shanghai Aviation Industrial Corporation (SAIC).

Probable Cause:

Authorities blamed the crash on a fire set by a passenger who bought seven insurance policies before boarding the flight, insuring his life for $170,000. He had brought one or more water bottles filled with gasoline on board and ignited the gasoline on board the aircraft.

Classification:
Pilot or passenger suicide
Inflight fire
Loss of control

Sources:
» AP
» Xinhua


Photos

photo of MD-82-B-2138
accident date: 07-05-2002
type: McDonnell Douglas MD-82
registration: B-2138
photo of MD-82-B-2138
accident date: 07-05-2002
type: McDonnell Douglas MD-82
registration: B-2138
 

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 Beijing-Capital International Airport to Dalian Airport as the crow flies is 440 km (275 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

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.
languages: languages

Share

MD-80

  • 1194 built
  • 16th loss
  • 9th fatal accident
  • 4th worst accident (at the time)
  • 8th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 China
  • 3rd worst accident (at the time)
  • 4th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org