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Another MD-11 down

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hawkerflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2003
Posts
485
RIP guys.

SHANGHAI – A cargo plane crashed as it took off from Shanghai's main airport Saturday, killing three American crew members and injuring four other employees after it veered off the runway and burst into flames.
Three Americans on the seven-member crew died and a fourth American was injured, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Buangan told The Associated Press. He did not know the injured person's condition.
Shanghai television showed what it called a 61-year-old American co-pilot in a hospital bed, conscious and saying "Thank you" to staff and officials.
The TV report said the other crew were from Indonesia, Belgium and Zimbabwe.
The aircraft's tail struck the ground on takeoff, China Central Television reported. Footage showed black smoke billowing from the wreckage.
The crash at Shanghai Pudong International Airport occurred just after 8 a.m. (0000 GMT), the official Xinhua News Agency said. The plane was headed to Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Xinhua said the three people died at the People's Hospital of Pudong New Area. A propaganda official there had no comment Saturday night.
The aircraft was operated by Zimbabwe-based Avient Aviation. An Avient Harare official said the flight was operated out the United Kingdom and could not say what cargo was on board. The official was not authorized to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
State media said the plane was an MD-11. In March, another MD-11 cargo plane crashed and exploded while landing at Japan's largest international airport, killing its two American pilots. Xinhua said another MD-11 with Korean Air crashed shortly after takeoff 10 years ago at Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport.
More than 30 international flights from the Shanghai airport were delayed Saturday morning, leaving about 4,000 travelers stranded on planes or in airport lounges, Xinhua said. CCTV said two runways at the airport were shut down.
Shanghai is China's largest city and its economic capital. The Pudong airport is located on the eastern edge of the city, by the East China Sea.
Recent crashes in China include two Chinese air force jets colliding in June 2008 in Inner Mongolia, with both pilots parachuting to safety. In June 2006, a Chinese military plane crashed in eastern Anhui province, killing all 40 people aboard.
 
I used to work for Gemini. No finer pilots did I fly with. My prayers with the 3 and the families. Sad day today for me. I knew some of those guys and they were all decent men.
 
Best wishes to all those affected. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Grew up with one of the pilots; he was a good guy from a good family and will be missed by many. Rest in Peace.
 
I used to work for Gemini as well and spend numerous hours aloft with the guys who vanished in the crash. My prayers go to loved ones left behind.
 
How do you guys know the names when they werent released? Also, is Aient Aviation aka Gemini? Just a little confused.

My prayers go out the the families and friends to those involved. Always horrible to hear.
 
How do you guys know the names when they werent released? Also, is Aient Aviation aka Gemini? Just a little confused.

My prayers go out the the families and friends to those involved. Always horrible to hear.

we have our own internal Gemini message board, it's private. Once the family was notified, the names were released.

Too early to tell, but judging by their experience in the MD11, and the fact that it was apparently a tail strike, my #1 suspect is cargo shift. But again, too early to tell.
 
we have our own internal Gemini message board, it's private. Once the family was notified, the names were released.

Too early to tell, but judging by their experience in the MD11, and the fact that it was apparently a tail strike, my #1 suspect is cargo shift. But again, too early to tell.


Gotcha, sad news guys. Sorry for you lose.

I agree to early, but that was my first impression.
 
Avient is a British / Zimbabwean company. They hired a bunch of ex-Gemini pilots (because of their experience with MD11's) to operate the first Avient MD11.
 
How many takeoffs have we done in our careers, thousands. Obviously something catastrophic happened. It had to be either cargo shift or loss of #2 engine. Poor guys...
I'll be sure to "walk the cargo" tonight and from now on.

The MD-11 may go down in history as worst commercial airplane ever built.
 
I don't think anyone that ever flew the MD-11 would say it is a "bad" airplane. I flew it for six years (2,500 hours) at Gemini and loved the airplane. It is like all "heavy" aircraft, you must be five minutes ahead of it or it will bite your ass.

This accident sounds like a cargo incident or the plane had some bugs from sitting in Miami for a couple of years (this was its first revenue flight).

Only time will tell!
 

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