|
A military plane that crashed killing all 40 people onboard was an advanced KJ-200 airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft undergoing flight test, it emerged.
Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday 4 June that a military plane carrying 40 people was lost in the eastern province of Anhui and no survivor was found. Chinese president Hu Jintao has expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives and ordered a full investigation into the cause of the accident.
|
|
The Shaanxi KJ-200 AEW aircraft was based on the indigenous Y-8 turboprop airframe with a linear-shape electronically steered phased-array radar mounted on top of its fuselage |
|
Although the report did not reveal the detailed model of the plane or the identities of the people onboard, some Chinese websites have reported that the plane was in fact a KJ-200 AEW aircraft, which had been under development at Hanzhong-based Shaanxi Aircraft Industry Corporation since the late 1990.
The KJ-200 AEW plane is based on Shaanxi’s Y-8F-600 turboprop transport aircraft with an linear-shape electronically steered phased-array (ESA) radar antenna mounted on top of its fuselage. At least two prototypes are believed to have been built. The plane involved in the 4 June accident was reported to be the No.2 prototype, which was carrying out a flight test mission at the time.
According to the unconfirmed reports, most of the 40 people onboard the plane were believed to be PLA electronics experts and aircraft engineers from Shaanxi.
The accident happened at about 16:00 Beijing Time (08:00 GMT) on Saturday near the village of Yaocun, in Guangde county. The plane's body hit bamboo forest and its tail fell in fields, a local villager told the journalists.
| |
The PLA Air Force is currently testing at least three AEW&C aircraft designs, including the more advanced KJ-2000 AWACS aircraft based on the Russian A-50 airframe |
|
The crash is the PLA’s worst accident since the PLA Navy submarine accident in 2003, which claimed 70 lives. Immediately after the crash, an investigation team headed by the Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) General Guo Boxiong was sent to the crash site for investigation. Hong Kong newspaper reported that the crash scene was under heavy security due to its sensitivity.
The PLA has been seeking the airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) capability since the late 1990s as a part of its military modernisation efforts. At least three AEW&C designs are currently being tested by the PLA. The air crash, though may cause some delay in the development programme, is unlikely going to mark a major setback for the PLA’s modernisation progress.
8 June 2006
| 
