China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303

China Northwest Airlines

Company type	Airline
Industry	Aviation
Founded	July 1988 (1988-07)
Defunct	2003 (2003)
Fate	Merged into China Eastern Airlines
Headquarters	Xi'an , People's Republic of China
Products	Air transport services

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence

China Northwest Airlines Flight 2303 was a domestic service operating between Xi'an and Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. On June 6, 1994, the Tupolev Tu-154M assigned to this route disintegrated mid-flight due to an autopilot malfunction that induced severe vibrations, ultimately overstressing the aircraft's structure. Tragically, all 160 individuals aboard perished. As of 2025, this incident holds the record as the deadliest aviation disaster on mainland China soil.

Aircraft

The airplane involved was a Tupolev Tu-154M bearing registration B-2610 (factory number 86A740, serial number 0740). It was manufactured by the Kuibyshev Aviation Plant (KuAPO), with completion on December 22, 1986, after which it was delivered directly to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Following organizational changes in July 1988, ownership transferred to China Northwest Airlines. The aircraft was equipped with three Soloviev D-30KU-154-II low-bypass turbofan engines produced by the Rybinsk Engine Plant. At the time of the accident, it had accumulated a total of 12,507 flight hours and completed 6,651 cycles of takeoffs and landings.

Crew

The flight team was composed of Captain Li Gangqiang (46), Instructor Captain Xin Tiancai, First Officer Yang Min (25), Navigator Zhang Nanjing (34), and Flight Engineer Kang Youfa (47). Additionally, nine flight attendants were present on the flight.

Passengers

Nationality	Passengers	Crew	Total
China	133	14	147
Italy	4	0	4
Hong Kong	3	0	3
United States	2	0	2
United Kingdom	2	0	2
Taiwan	1	0	1
Switzerland	1	0	1
Total	146	14	160

Accident

The aircraft departed from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport at 8:13 on June 6, 1994. Despite rainy conditions, the flight took off without delay.

Shortly after takeoff, at 24 seconds, the crew reported that the airplane was "floating" and producing unusual noises, yet they maintained a speed of approximately 400 km/h (220 kn; 250 mph). Three minutes post-departure, the plane passed over Xi'an City and adjusted its course southeastward. Subsequently, the pilots indicated an unstable pitch angle increasing to 20° at 8:16:24 and then to 30° by 8:16:58.

At 8:17:06, while flying above Mingdu Township in Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, the aircraft failed to sustain its designated altitude. The crew briefly activated the autopilot, which inadvertently caused a right turn. At 8:22:27, traveling at 373 kilometres per hour (232 mph), the stall warning sounded. The plane then sharply banked left and plunged from an altitude of 4,717 metres (15,476 ft) to 2,884 metres (9,462 ft) within 12 seconds, reaching a velocity of 747 km/h (403 kn; 464 mph).

At 8:22:42, the aircraft broke apart mid-flight above Tsuitou Village in Mingyu Township. All 146 passengers and 14 crew members perished, with most fatalities occurring instantly upon impact. Debris scattered southeast of the airport spanned approximately 18 miles (29 km) across farmland.

Investigation

The accident was most likely triggered by inadequate upkeep. During maintenance conducted at a non-certified facility the night before, the autopilot's yaw channel was mistakenly linked to the bank control, while the bank channel was connected to the yaw controls. Shortly after departure, this defective damper induced severe roll oscillations in the aircraft, exerting stress on the airframe that exceeded its structural capacity. Consequently, the airplane disintegrated mid-flight.

Aftermath

Following this incident and the 1999 crash of China Southwest Airlines Flight 4509, Chinese authorities opted to withdraw all Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft from operation. The complete removal of Tu-154s from Chinese civil aviation occurred on October 30, 2002. In 2003, China Northwest Airlines was integrated into China Eastern Airlines. Notably, Flight 2303 remains active under China Eastern Airlines on the route between Xian and Guangzhou.

See also

• Air Astana Flight 1388