What happened
During ground operations at Guilin Airport, a Hawker Siddeley Trident was involved in a serious collision while maneuvering on the taxiway. The incident occurred when a Harbin H-5 bomber, operated by the Chinese Air Force, struck the airliner. The military aircraft had reportedly crashed during its landing sequence before making contact with the commercial jet.
The impact caused significant structural damage to the Hawker Siddeley Trident, forcing it to come to a complete stop on the taxiway. The accident resulted in a high number of casualties among those on board the airliner. Records indicate that 11 fatalities occurred, all of whom were foreign nationals. Additionally, the collision left 27 injuries reported, though 68 individuals managed to evacuate the aircraft without sustaining any harm.
Findings
- The primary factor in the collision was the crash of a military bomber during its landing phase, which subsequently struck the taxiing airliner.