2017 Myanmar Air Force Shaanxi Y-8 crash
{{Short description|Air transport disaster over the Andaman Sea}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| image = Myanmar Air Force Shaanxi Y-8 MRD.jpg
| image_upright = 1.2
| alt = A blue and white four-engine aircraft in flight, flaps extended
| caption = A Shaanxi Y-8 of the Myanmar Air Force, similar to the aircraft involved in the crash
| occurrence_type = Accident
| date = {{Start date|2017|06|07|df=y}}
| summary = Crashed into the sea following loss of control in icing conditions
| site = Andaman Sea, near Dawei, Myanmar
| coordinates = {{coord|13|48|N|98|02|E|display=inline, title}}
| aircraft_type = Shaanxi Y-8F-200
| aircraft_name =
| operator = {{Air force|MYA}}
| tail_number = 5820
| origin = Myeik Airport, Myeik
| stopover =
| destination = Yangon International Airport, Yangon
| occupants = 122
| passengers = 108
| crew = 14
| survivors = 0
| fatalities = 122
}}On 7 June 2017, a Shaanxi Y-8 aircraft of the Myanmar Air Force crashed on a flight from Myeik to Yangon, killing all 122 people on board. Debris from the aircraft was found in the Andaman Sea, 118 nautical miles (218 km) off Dawei by Myanmar Navy ships. It is the deadliest aviation accident in Myanmar's history.
History of the flight
{{Location map many
| Myanmar
| relief = 1
| width =
| caption = A map showing the locations of the Myeik Airport; Yangon International Airport, and where communication was lost.
| alt = Location of departure and destination airports
|
| label1 = Myeik
| label1_size =
| position1 =
| background1 =
| mark1 = Airplane silhouette.svg
| mark1size =
| link1 =
| lat1_deg = 12
| lat1_min = 26
| lat1_sec = 23
| lat1_dir = N
| lon1_deg = 98
| lon1_min = 37
| lon1_sec = 17
| lon1_dir = E
|
| label2 = Contact lost
| label2_size =
| position2 = left
| background2 =
| mark2 = City locator 9.svg
| mark2size =
| link2 =
| lat2_deg = 13
| lat2_min = 48
| lat2_sec = 00
| lat2_dir = N
| lon2_deg = 98
| lon2_min = 02
| lon2_sec = 00
| lon2_dir = E
|
| label3 = Yangon
| label3_size =
| position3 = bottom
| background3 =
| mark3 = Airplane silhouette.svg
| mark3size =
| link3 =
| lat3_deg = 16
| lat3_min = 54
| lat3_sec = 26
| lat3_dir = N
| lon3_deg = 96
| lon3_min = 07
| lon3_sec = 59
| lon3_dir = E
}}
The aircraft had departed from Myeik for Yangon at 13:06 local time (06:36 UTC).{{cite web |url=http://news.sky.com/story/military-aircraft-with-120-people-on-board-goes-missing-off-myanmar-10907332 |title=Military aircraft with 120 people on board goes missing off Myanmar |publisher=Sky News |accessdate=7 June 2017}} At 13:35, communication was lost with the aircraft when it was {{convert|20|nmi|km}} west of Dawei.{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170607-0 |title=5820 Accident description |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |accessdate=7 June 2017}} The aircraft was flying at {{convert|18000|ft|m}} at the time. A search and rescue operation was launched in the Andaman Sea.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burma-military-plane-missing-live-latest-passengers-soldiers-army-chief-myanmar-a7776876.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/burma-military-plane-missing-live-latest-passengers-soldiers-army-chief-myanmar-a7776876.html |archive-date=2022-05-01 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Burma military plane disappears with more than 100 on board, army says |work=The Independent |accessdate=7 June 2017}}{{cbignore}} An unidentified spokesman said that weather was not thought to be a factor in the aircraft's disappearance.{{cite web |url=http://metro.co.uk/2017/06/07/military-plane-carrying-116-people-disappears-over-burma-6691696/|title=Debris found in hunt for missing Myanmar plane with 105 people on board |publisher=Associated Newspapers Ltd |work=Metro |accessdate=7 June 2017}} No mayday call had been received from the aircraft.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40197318 |title=Myanmar plane: Debris and bodies found after search |publisher=BBC News Online |accessdate=8 June 2017}}
Aircraft
Passengers and crew
The aircraft's captain was Lt-Col Nyein Chan and the co-pilots were Lt-Col Soe Thu Win and Maj Thant Zin Htay. The aircraft had 14 crew members.{{cite web |url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/three-bodies-debris-found-search-missing-military-plane.html |title=Three Bodies, Debris Found in Search for Missing Military Plane |publisher=The Irrawaddy News Magazine |accessdate=8 June 2017}}
108 military staff members and their families, including 15 children, were on board when the plane lost communication with Dawei airbase. Six officers and 29 other military personnel were on board.
Search
Nine Myanmar Navy ships,{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/07/asia/myanmar-plane-missing/index.html|title=Wreckage of missing Myanmar military plane found|publisher=CNN |date=8 June 2017|accessdate=9 June 2017}} and three military aircraft and helicopters were sent to assist in the search.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-40188801|title=Burmese military plane vanishes|publisher=BBC News Online|accessdate=7 June 2017}} On 7 June, debris from the aircraft was reported to have been found {{convert|218|km|nmi|disp=flip}} off Dawei by a Myanmar Navy ship.{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/myanmar-military-plane-carrying-116-missing-army-chief-1709075 |title=Debris Of Myanmar Plane With Over 100 On Board Found In Sea: Reports|publisher=NDTV|accessdate=7 June 2017}} On 8 June, it was reported that 29 bodies had been found.{{cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/story/wreckage-and-bodies-found-in-myanmar-missing-plane-search-10908046|title=Wreckage and bodies found in Myanmar missing plane search|publisher=Sky News|accessdate=8 June 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/crashed-military-aircraft-carried-9-officers-transferring-for-medical-treatment.html|title=Crashed Military Aircraft Carried 9 Officers Transferring for Medical Treatment|last= Tin Htet Paing|date=8 June 2017|work=8 June 2017 |access-date=8 June 2017 |publisher=The Irrawaddy}}
The wreckage was scattered over a wide area, indicating that the aircraft might have disintegrated in flight at altitude. Storms in the area hindered the search. By 9 June, hopes of finding survivors were fading.{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/storms-hinder-desperate-search-myanmar-plane-wreck-075437138.html|title=Storms hinder desperate search for Myanmar plane wreck|first=Hla-Hla|last=Htay|publisher=Yahoo News|accessdate=9 June 2017|archive-date=10 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170610070450/https://www.yahoo.com/news/storms-hinder-desperate-search-myanmar-plane-wreck-075437138.html|url-status=dead}} It was later reported that there were no survivors. Instead, bodies and debris have been found scattered in the Andaman Sea, and some washed ashore.{{cite web|last1=Connor|first1=Neil|title=Children among the dead as bodies pulled from the sea after Myanmar plane crashes with 120 on board|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/08/children-among-dead-bodies-pulled-sea-myanmar-plane-disappears/|website=The Telegraph|accessdate=13 June 2017}}
This was the deadliest aviation accident to occur in Myanmar,{{cite web|title=ASN Aviation Safety Database|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?Country=XY&lang=&page=1|website=Aviation Safety Network|accessdate=13 June 2017}} surpassing the crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 500 in 1987, which killed 49 people.{{cite web|title=Accident Description|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19871011-2|website=Aviation Safety Network|accessdate=13 June 2017}}
On 15 June, a fishing boat helping with the search found the tail of the aircraft off Myinkhwar Aww Bay.{{cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/World/News/fishing-boat-hooks-tail-of-crashed-myanmar-plane-20170615|title=Fishing boat hooks tail of crashed Myanmar plane|work=News24|date=15 June 2017|access-date=16 June 2017|archive-date=17 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617183108/http://www.news24.com/World/News/fishing-boat-hooks-tail-of-crashed-myanmar-plane-20170615|url-status=dead}} The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered on 18 June.{{cite web |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-myanmar-airplane-idUKKBN1990N3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618160013/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-myanmar-airplane-idUKKBN1990N3 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 18, 2017 |title=Black box from crashed Myanmar army plane retrieved |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=18 June 2017}}
Investigation
Investigator determined that control of the aircraft was lost after it entered thick storm clouds and encountered icing conditions.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40653524|title=Myanmar plane: Bad weather blamed for Andaman Sea crash |publisher=BBC News |date=19 July 2017 |accessdate=29 July 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 2017}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Myanmar}}
{{Portal bar|Aviation|Myanmar}}
Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by ice
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 2017
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Myanmar