The Boeing 747-200B was one of the backbones for many major
airlines on her glory times, one of the operators the Boeing 747-200B was China
Airlines, the flag-carrier airline of the Republic of China (Taiwan). China
Airlines ordered the Boeing 747-200B to operate long-haul routes. Here's the
story of the dynasty of the Boeing 747-200B, the queen of the skies in
Taiwanese sky.
China Airlines introduced its first jumbo jet in 1976, the
Boeing 747-100 to operate highly profitable trans-pacific routes to the United
States. Then, the larger version of the Boeing 747, the Boeing 747-200B was
delivered to China Airlines in 1979, exactly on July 31, 1979. At the same
year, China Airlines switched all its operations from Songshan International
Airport in Taipei, Taiwan to the newly built international airport, the Chiang
Kai-shek International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan. The first Boeing 747-200B of
China Airlines was B-1866. After the delivery of the Boeing 747-200B, China
Airlines introduced its first European route, Amsterdam. That was the beginning
of the queen of the skies' dynasty. Boeing 747-200B mainly served China
Airlines' long-haul international routes such as to the United States and
Europe. The Boeing 747-200B also served some high-demand short-haul passenger
routes.
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B-1866, the first Boeing 747-200B of China Airlines at Kai-Tak International Airport in Hong Kong in 1978 with the old "Republic of China" livery
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B-1886, the China Airlines’ second Boeing 747-200B at Schiphol
International Airport in Amsterdam with "Republic of China" livery
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B-1888, the third (and also the last) Boeing 747-200B of China
Airlines, with "Republic of China" livery
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Beside B-1866, China Airlines also had the another two
orders of Boeing 747-200B. The second Boeing 747-200B, B-1886, was being delivered
to China Airlines on April 17, 1981. The third Boeing 747-200B, B-1888, was
being delivered to China Airlines on March 4, 1982. B-1888 was the last of
three Boeing 747-200B ordered by China Airlines. China Airlines used 3-4-2
seating configuration on its Boeing 747-200B, it means every Boeing 747-200B
had nine seats in a row instead of a standard Boeing 747 with ten seats in a
row. There were 274 seats in China Airlines Boeing 747-200B, consist of 22
first class seats, 84 business class seats, 131 main deck economy class seats,
and 37 upper deck economy class seats).
On February 7, 1980, B-1866, the first Boeing 747-200B of
China Airlines was on the way from Arlanda International Airport in Stockholm,
Sweden to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan via King
Abdulaziz International Airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Kai Tak
International Airport in Hong Kong, China. B-1866 was operated flight CI9.
While landing in Kai Tak International Airport, Hong Kong it suffered tail
strike and the jumbo jet's tail scraped along the runway for few hundred feet.
The aircraft depressurized and ferried back to Chiang Kai-shek International
Airport, Taiwan at the same day. A temporary repair did the day after. A more
permanent repair was conducted by a team from China Airlines from 23 May
through 26 May 1980. After the repairment, B-1886 was returned back to
services.
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B-1866 after re-painted to the new "Plum Blossom" livery
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B-1886 with the new “Plum Blossom” livery
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B-1888 wore the new “Plum Blossom” livery, on a final approach to
Kai-Tak International Airport in Hong Kong
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At the time, China Airlines wore Republic of China livery on
all its aircraft. In 1995, China Airlines unveiled the new livery, the Plum
Blossom livery. Plum Blossom is the national flower of the Republic of China,
all three China Airlines' Boeing 747-200B later painted with the Plum Blossom
after the introduction of the new livery.
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B-1866 after being re-registered as B-18255
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B-1886 after being re-registered as B-18753 and converted into a
cargo aircraft
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B-1888 after being re-registered as B-18755 and converted into a
cargo aircraft
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In January 1999, China Airlines converted its two Boeing
747-200B aircraft into cargo aircraft (Boeing 747-200B(SF)). China Airlines
also re-registered both aircraft, B-1886 became B-18753 and B-1888 became
B-18755). Both aircraft were operated by China Airlines Cargo after that. But,
China Airlines still kept one Boeing 747-200B, B-1866 for passenger services,
but it re-registered as B-18255.
Since 1990, China Airlines started to receive the Boeing
747-400s. This aircraft would replace the Boeing 747-200Bs. It means the Boeing
747-200B would be retired soon as the Boeing 747-400s would take over the
Boeing 747-200B routes. Then, China Airlines started to look for the purchasers
for the Boeing 747-200B. Later, China Airlines agreed to sell its last Boeing
747-200B (passenger version), B-18255 to Orient Thai Airlines for US$1,45
million.
Then, on May 25, 2002, China Airlines was prepared for the
last passenger flight of its Boeing 747-200B from Taoyuan International Airport
in Taipei (the major airport of Taipei was Chiang Kai-shek before renamed as
Taoyuan later) to Cheap Lap-Kok International Airport in Hong Kong. The last
passenger flight of China Airlines Boeing 747-200B was being operated as China
Airlines flight 611 (CI611/CAL611/Dynasty 611). Originally, the planned
aircraft for flight CI611 was a Boeing 747-400, B-18272. But, B-18272 later
relocated into the another route. The only available plane for flight CI611 was
only an under inspection Boeing 747-200B, B-18255. The Taipei-Hong Kong route
itself is one of the most heavily traveled passenger air routes, sometimes it
referred as "Golden Route." After the flight from Hong Kong to
Taipei, the plane, B-18255 would be sold to Orient Thai Airlines.
On May 25, 2002, B-18255 operated China Airlines flight 611
from Taipei to Hong Kong, the return flight would be the last passenger flight
of China Airlines Boeing 747-200B, at the edge of the queen of the skies'
dynasty, Captain Yì Qīngfēng piloted B-18255 as a captain. The first officer
Xiè Yà xióng was on duty at the day as a first officer and flight engineer Zhà o
Shèngguó was the flight engineer of the flight. The plane carried 206
passengers and 19 crews at the time, all the passengers and crews were ethnic
Chinese, expect a sole Swiss man.
On 15.08 Taipei time (07:08 UTC), B-18255 took off from
Taipei-Taoyuan International Airport, the queen's dynasty would come to the
end. The jumbo jet was cleared to climb to flight level 350 (35,000 feet/11,000
meters) at 15.16. At 15:33, B-18255 reached flight level 350. But, at the same
time, the contact from China Airlines flight 611 was lost. The air traffic
controller was tried to contact flight 611, but there was no answer. Flight 611
disappeared from the radar screen. After flight 611 disappeared, two Cathay
Pacific's aircraft that flew near the place where the last contact of flight
CI611 had occurred receive B-18255's emergency location-indicator signal. At
17.05, a military Lockheed C-130 Hercules spotted a crashed airliner, 20
nautical miles (37 kilometers) northeast of Makung. The first body was found at
18:10, there were no survivors. 15% of the wreckage were recovered, with no
sign of burns, explosives, or gunshots. Before crashed, there was no distress
signal or communication. Radar data suggested if the aircraft broke into four
pieces at flight level 350. Magazines, documents, luggage, photographs, Taiwan
dollars, and a China Airlines-embossed, blood-stained pillowcase were found 80
miles (150 kilometers) from the crash site in villages in central Taiwan,
indicated if the aircraft broke into pieces in-mid-air.
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Debris from China Airlines flight 611
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The final report found if the accident was the result of
metal fatigue, caused by a tail strike at Kai Tak International Airport, Hong
Kong, 22 years earlier. A repair that held by China Airlines team was not
carried out in accordance with the Boeing Structural Repair Manual (BSRM). The
area of damaged skin in Section 46 was not removed and the repair doubler plate
that was supposed to cover in excess of 30 percent of the damaged area did not
extend beyond the entire damaged area enough to restore the overall structural
strength. After many takeoffs and landing cycles for 22 years, the hull
experienced depressurization and pressurization and started to crack, the crack
finally broke up in mid-air on flight 611.
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The debris of N714CK (ex-B-18753) in Miami, Florida after crashed
due to double engine failure
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After the crash of China Airlines flight 611, China Airlines
started to improve its safety record and after the crash of flight 611, China
Airlines has no accident resulting fatality again. The airline also no longer
operate the Boeing 747-200B again. The China Airlines' two Boeing 747-200B that
converted to freight aircraft, B-18753 and B-18755 later sold to an American
cargo airline, Kalitta Air in 2002. B-18753 later being re-registered as N714CK
and B-18755 being re-registered as N715CK. But, N714CK (ex. B-18753) crashed
near a village in Miami, Florida shortly after departed from El Dorado
International Airport in Bogota. This accident occurred on July 7, 2008, caused
by double engine failure.
After 22 years of its dynasty, the queen of the skies,
Boeing 747-200B finally came down from her throne. But, the story doesn't end
there. Her descendant, the Boeing 747-400 is continuing the dynasty of the
Boeing 747 replacing the Boeing 747-200B in China Airlines. But, the dynasty of
Boeing 747 in China Airlines will come to the end as the Boeing 747-400 will go
from China Airlines.
"The queen died and came down from her throne, her scar from the past destroyed her after she tried to hide it for 22
years."
"Tribute to 225 passengers and crews who died on board China Airlines flight 611, they may be rest in peace."
