2002-05-25: China Airlines Flight 611

225 fatalities • Taiwan

Accident narrative

China Airlines Flight 611 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taiwan to Hong Kong International Airport that disintegrated midair and crashed into the Taiwan Strait, 23 nautical miles northeast of the Penghu Islands, 20 minutes after takeoff, killing all 225 people on board. The in-flight breakup was caused by metal fatigue cracks from a tail strike at Kai Tak Airport on 7 of February 1980 in which the aircraft was not properly repaired according to Boeing policies and manuals. Metal fatigue from over 22 years of service and repeated depressurizations caused tiny cracks that led to the aircraft's breakup.

Contributing factors

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Related events

Same aircraft

  • 2007-08-20 — China Airlines Flight 120 (—)
  • 1991-12-29 — China Airlines Flight 358 (—)
  • 1971-11-20 — China Airlines Flight 825 (—)
  • 1970-08-12 — China Airlines Flight 206 (—)
  • 1946-09-20 — China Airlines Flight 81 (—)

Investigation report by Wikidata contributors. Original record: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q435806. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the CC0 (Wikidata).

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