Tupolev TU-154 crash, Jun 6, 1994 (160 killed), Xi'an
Tupolev TU-154 accident on June 6, 1994 near Xi'an, Shaanxi, China with 160 fatalities. Cause: Maintenance error: the autopilot yaw and bank channels...
- Date: June 6, 1994
- Aircraft: Tupolev TU-154
- Location: Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Fatalities: 160
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Maintenance error: the autopilot yaw and bank channels had been cross-connected during maintenance done at an unapproved facility the previous evening, causing the loss of control.
A China Northwest Airlines Tupolev Tu-154M on a scheduled flight from Xi'an to Guangzhou began uncommanded rolling about 24 seconds after takeoff. It climbed to a high angle of attack, then pitched into a steep dive and broke up in the air before crashing in a field about 29 km southeast of Xi'an airport. All 160 people on board died, making it the deadliest air disaster on mainland China.