What happened
While operating at Yinchuan Airport, an aircraft was performing its takeoff roll on runway 36. As the aircraft reached its rotation speed (Vr), the pilot-in-command attempted to pull back on the control column to lift the nose; however, the aircraft did not respond to the input. Due to a lack of coordination and improper decision-making, the crew did not initiate an aborted takeoff procedure.
As the takeoff roll continued, the nose gear eventually lifted, but the aircraft transitioned into an excessively high nose attitude. This maneuver caused the tail of the aircraft to strike the runway surface. Following the tail strike, the aircraft overran the end of the 2,160-meter runway, collided with several obstacles, and ultimately came to rest in a nearby lake. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were favorable, featuring excellent visibility and an outside air temperature of +27° C.
Findings
- The accident involved a failure to respond to rotation inputs.
- Inadequate crew coordination and improper decision-making regarding the decision to abort the takeoff contributed to the event.
- The aircraft suffered a tail strike due to an improper pitch attitude during the takeoff roll.
- The accident resulted in 55 fatalities and 58 injuries, including one member of the crew.