Incident Overview
Description
Wuhan Airlines flight 343 departed Enshi for a flight to Wuhan. The aircraft entered an area of poor weather; rain and thunderstorm with associated windshear. The crew reportedly circled Wuhan for about 30 minutes to wait for the storm to pass. Wuhan’s weather bureau recorded 451 thunderclaps in a 10-minute period as the plane circled. During the approach the first officer proposed to land at an alternate airport, but the captain decided to continue to Wuhan. The plane was caught by windshear and crashed near Sitai Village, Yongfeng Township. Half of the plane plunged into a farmhouse and the other half came to rest on a dike of the Han River. Sitai is located about 20 to 30 kilometers (12 to 18 miles) from Wuhan. Seven workers who were installing generators on a vessel were killed when the plane hit. The Yun-7 airliner had recorded 13,811 safe flight hours and completed 11,724 takeoffs and landings by the end of May, finishing two-thirds of its lifespan.
Primary Cause
Severe weather conditions, specifically windshear, caused by a thunderstorm, resulted in a catastrophic crash.Severe weather conditions, specifically windshear, caused by a thunderstorm, resulted in a catastrophic crash.Share on:
