On 6th April 1993, McDonnell Douglas MD-11 of China Eastern Airlines Flight 583 made an emergency landing on Shemya Air Force Base in Alaska, US. The aircraft was operating on the Pacific Ocean at Mach 0.84 when the crew member accidentally operated the slats. The deployment of slats caused severe pitch oscillation; therefore, the pilot had no other choice but to land.
Aircraft Information
| Aircraft type | McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 |
| Operator | China Eastern Airlines |
| Registration | B-2171 |
| Flight origin | Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China |
| Destination | Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, United States |
| Occupants | 255 |
| Passengers | 235 |
| Crew | 20 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | 156 |
| Survivors | 253 |
Flight Information
China Eastern Airlines Aircraft B-2171 with registration number B-2171 was en route to Los Angeles International Airport from Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai. The total number of people on the plane was 255, of which 20 were crew members.
Captain Corrective Actions During Accident
The extension of leading-edge flaps results in a pitching-up movement of the aircraft during autopilot. The pilot took corrective action and replaced the flap/slat handle in the UP/RET position. Then, the pilot disengaged the autopilot and exerted forward control column force. This results in an abrupt nose-down elevator command. The captain subsequently commanded elevator movement to correct the pitch attitude. During this, several violent pitch oscillations were induced that ended up in the accident.
Cause of the Accident
Someone in the cockpit inadvertently deployed the leading-edge slats during cruise flight. The autopilot was disconnected, and the captain was manually controlling the aircraft. The deployment of slats causes violent pitch oscillation in the aircraft. Although the pilot was successful in stabilizing it, he lost 5,000 feet of altitude. The captain then declared an emergency because the passengers and the crew members were injured.
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Injuries Details
Two passengers were seriously injured and later died. 60 passengers were taken to hospitals, which included the cockpit crew and the flight attendant too. Three from the cockpit crew and 4 from the cabin crew received serious injuries. On the passenger side, 96 minors were injured, and 53 were seriously injured. On 24 April 1993, the surviving passengers were discharged from the hospital. The aircraft was in good shape externally and did not receive any damage, but the passenger cabin was substantially damaged. The Douglas Company reported that the cost of repairing the aircraft would be approx. $1.500.000 (1993).
| Cockpit crew | Flight attendants | Passengers | Other | Total | |
| Fatal | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Serious | 3 | 4 | 53 | 0 | 60 |
| Minor | 0 | 0 | 96 | 0 | 96 |
| None | 5 | 8 | 84 | – | 97 |
| Total | 8 | 12 | 235 | 0 | 255 |
Crew Details
The total number of crew was 20. In which there was a first officer, the flight engineer, and a radio operator. There were also four international flight relief cockpit crew members and 12 flight attendants.
| Designation | Age/Certificate | Experiences | Flight hours |
| Captain | 42/Chinese pilot certificate | Pilot rating for Illyushin 14, Trident, Airbus 310, A300-600R, and MD-11. | 8,535 flight hours |
| First officer | 43 | Pilot rating for llyushin 14; Antonov 24, Bae 146 and MD-11 | 9,714 flight hours |
| Flight engineer | 41 | Pilot rating for Trident; A310, A300-600R and MD-11. | 9,892 flight hours |
NTSB Findings
The national transport safety board the Douglas Aircraft Company’s inadequate design of the flap/slat actuation handle was the cause of the accident. The UP/RET position of the handle can easily and inadvertently deploy the slats during the cruise flight. The pilot tries to stabilize the aircraft, but the associated light control force characteristic of the MD-11 in cruise flight makes several violent pitch oscillations.
The lack of specific MD-11 pilot recovery training from high altitude was also a contributing factor in the severity of pitch oscillation. For the injuries, the lack of seat restraints by the passenger and crew was the main contributing factor.
Conclusion
All the cockpit and Cabin crew were qualified for the flight, and the pilot had recently completed the recurrent training. He was fully aware of the available information regarding the inadvertent slat extensions. The aircraft was in airworthy condition. There was also no sign of turbulence or engine deficiency that would cause the accident. Only the flap/slat handle design and operation were considered to be inappropriate. The captain attempts to stabilize the aircraft, but ends up losing 5,000 feet of altitude. The severe pitch oscillation in the aircraft causes injuries to the passengers and the cabin crew. The pilot made an emergency landing on the US Air Force Base, Shemya, Alaska. The captain successfully landed the plane.
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