China Airlines Flight 611
B-18255, the aircraft involved in the accident, in 2000 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 25 May 2002 |
| Summary | In-flight breakup due to improper repair |
| Site | Taiwan Strait, 45 km (24 nmi) NE of Penghu islands, Taiwan 23°59′23″N 119°40′45″E / 23.98972°N 119.67917°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 747-209B |
| Operator | China Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | CI611 |
| ICAO flight No. | CAL611 |
| Call sign | DYNASTY 611 |
| Registration | B-18255 |
| Flight origin | Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, Taoyuan, Taiwan |
| Destination | Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong |
| Occupants | 225 |
| Passengers | 206 |
| Crew | 19 |
| Fatalities | 225 |
| Survivors | 0 |
China Airlines Flight 611 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (now Taoyuan International Airport) in Taiwan to Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong.
On 25 May 2002, the Boeing 747-209B operating the route disintegrated midair and crashed into the Taiwan Strait, 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi) northeast of the Penghu Islands, 20 minutes after takeoff, killing all 225 people on board. The in-flight break-up was caused by metal fatigue cracks resulting from improper repairs after a tailstrike to the aircraft 22 years earlier. This accident is similar to Japan Air Lines Flight 123 which killed 520 people.
The crash remains the deadliest in Taiwan, as well as the most recent accident with fatalities involving China Airlines, and the second-deadliest accident in China Airlines history, behind China Airlines Flight 140 with 264 fatalities.