China Northwest Airlines

Tupolev TU-154

Twenty-four seconds after takeoff, while climbing, the crew encountered controllability problems. The captain contacted ATC and reported uncommanded rolled left and right up to 30°. The aircraft continued to climb but reached a high angle of attack when it nosed up to 20°, activating the stall warning alarm. The aircraft reached the altitude of 4,717 metres then rolled to the left, pitched down to an angle of 65° and entered an uncontrolled descent. At a speed of 747 km/h, the aircraft descended to the altitude of 2,884 metres in 12 seconds then suffered structural deformation and failure before crashing in an open field located 29 km southeast of Xi'an Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 160 occupants were killed.

BAe 146

During the takeoff roll on runway 36 at Yinchuan Airport, at Vr speed, the pilot-in-command pull up the control column to rotate but the aircraft failed to respond. Following a lack of crew coordination and inappropriate decisions, the crew failed to abort the takeoff procedure. After a long roll, the nose gear lifted off but the aircraft entered a high nose attitude, causing the tail to struck the runway surface. The aircraft then overran runway 36, collided with various obstacles and eventually crashed in a lake. 58 occupants were injured while 55 others were killed, among them one crew member. Weather conditions were good with OAT +27° C and an excellent visibility. Runway 36 is 2,160 metres long.