What happened
On May 25, 2002, China Airlines flight CI611, a Boeing 747-200 with registration B-18255, departed from Chiang Kai Shek International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, bound for Hong Kong. The flight was operating under standard regulations, with a crew consisting of two pilots, a flight engineer, and 16 cabin crew members, carrying 206 passengers.
Following standard procedures, the flight crew received briefings and taxi clearances before being cleared for takeoff on Runway 06 at 15:07:10. The initial ascent proceeded without incident. Shortly after departure, the crew communicated with Taipei Approach and received instructions to fly direct to the CHALI waypoint and climb to flight level 350. The final radio contact from the aircraft occurred at 15:16:31, when the crew acknowledged instructions from the Taipei Area Control Center.
At 15:28:03, air traffic controllers lost radar contact with the aircraft. A search and rescue mission was launched immediately. Later that evening, at approximately 18:00, debris was spotted floating in the ocean roughly 23 nautical miles northeast of the Penghu Islands near Makung. The accident resulted in 225 fatalities, as there were no survivors.
Findings
No specific contributing factors or conclusions regarding the structural or mechanical failure were provided in the source material.