Travel Forum / Travel Types / Air Travel / October 2003

No it's real, first the boring stuff, MSN (manufacturers serial number)
48468, reg B-150.
It's wingtip hit the ground and flipped over in adverse weather at HGK
21/08/99.
There is a video of it albeit poor quality at;

http://streaming.scmp.com/aircrash/CAL_Plane_crash1f.avi

Col.

The crash was in 1999 in Hong Kong at Chek Lap Kok International (HKG).
Three people were killed.  Mandarin is a subsidiary of China Air, a
Taiwanese carrier with one of the worst safety records in the industry (not
to be confused with the PRC airline, Air China).

Some additional info:

http://www.flatrock.org.nz/topics/flying/down_with_a_crash.htm

"While making a landing in strong winds and rain the pilot-in-command
disconnected the autopilot but left the autothrottle engaged.  The aircraft,
with a weight close to the maximum landing weight permitted, stabilised
slightly low on the glideslope.  An attempt was made to flare but the
aircraft landed hard on its right landing gear and the #3 engine touched the
runway.  The right main landing gear and right wing separated.  The MD-11
then inverted and skidded off the runway in flames."

   I wasn't able to load that page, but I'm guessing that it shows
the Mandarin Airlines MD-11 that crashed on August 22, 1998 at Hong
Kong.  There's a video of it crashing somewhere on the web.