B-2610, the aircraft involved, in CAAC livery in 1988
Accident
Date
June 6, 1994
Summary
In-flight break up due to improper maintenance
Site
Near Xi'an, China 34°16′N108°54′E / 34.267°N 108.900°E / 34.267; 108.900
Aircraft
Aircraft type
Tupolev Tu-154M
Operator
China Northwest Airlines
IATA flight No.
WH2303
ICAO flight No.
CNW2303
Call sign
CHINA NORTHWEST 2303
Registration
B-2610
Flight origin
Xianyang Airport (XIY/ZLXY), China
Destination
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (former) (CAN/ZGGG), China
Occupants
160
Passengers
146
Crew
14
Fatalities
160
Survivors
0
China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303 was a domestic flight from Xi'an to Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.[1] On June 6, 1994, the aircraft operating the flight, a Tupolev Tu-154M, broke up in-flight and crashed as a result of an autopilot malfunction which caused violent shaking and overstressed the airframe.[2] All 160 people on board were killed.[2][3][4] As of 2024, it remains the deadliest airplane crash ever in mainland China.[5]
^"Airline Crashes in China". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 6, 1994. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
^ ab"Accident database". Airdisaster.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
^Tyler, Patrick E (June 7, 1994). "Jet Crash in China Kills 160; Another Flight Is Hijacked". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
^News report from the Kingston Gleaner. NewspaperArchive.com
^Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
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