Headline: Mugabe refuses to fly in Chinese jet
By Basildon Peta, January 17, 2007Source: iol.co.za
“Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe flew off to the East for his annual holiday, but declined to use Air Zimbabwe because its new Chinese jetliner was "not safe".
“Sources at Air Zimbabwe said they had received correspondence from the president's office saying this was for "safety reasons".
Air Zimbabwe bought two MA60 planes from China last year and got an extra one free. The planes have frequently hit the headlines over their numerous technical problems leading to groundings or emergency landings.
Mugabe has refused to fly in them since their arrival but expects his countrymen to do so.
Headline: China’s MA60 planes in spotlight after safety scares
by Agence France-Presse, June 11, 2013Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
“China’s high-flying aviation ambitions suffered a setback on Tuesday as Myanmar grounded several planes made by the Asian powerhouse and Indonesia ordered special checks on its fleet following a series of safety scares.
“An MA60 turboprop airliner with 52 people on board crash-landed at an airport in eastern Indonesia on Monday, leaving two passengers with minor injuries and forcing state-owned carrier Merpati to write off the plane.
“On the same day an MA60 operated by Myanma Airways and carrying about 60 people skidded off a runway at a domestic airport in southern Myanmar, although nobody was hurt.
“It was the second such incident in less than a month involving one of three MA60s owned by Myanma Airways.
“Other operators of the plane include Lao Airlines, Philippines’ Zest Airways and several Chinese carriers.
“I think the accidents happened because of system failure. We will check all the systems. That’s why we stopped the operation of the planes,” Tin Naing Tun, director general of Myanmar’s Civil Aviation Department, told AFP.
“The systems also showed warnings before,” he added.
Headline: Indonesian Plane Crash Could Hurt China’s Aircraft Sales
by 2point6billion.com , May 10, 2011Source: 2point6billion.com
May. 10 – An Indonesian MA60 turbo-prop plane carrying 27 people crashed into the ocean off the country’s easternmost Papua Province on May 7, leaving no survivors according to a navy officer’s confirmation. As the first fatal accident reported for this model, which was developed and made in China, the crash may temporarily set back the plane’s improving sales records worldwide.
An unnamed navy officer, who joined the survivor search and rescue, confirmed to ElShinta radio that all the passengers were killed, as the plane exploded and crashed into the sea.
Headline: PICTURE: Zest MA60 crashes on landing in Philippines
Source: flightglobal.comA busy airport in the Philippines was closed for around 5hr on 11 January after a passenger aircraft landed too short on the runway, skidded out of control and crashed into a concrete barrier, resulting in 22 of the 27 people on board being sent to hospital.
It then skidded out of control and crashed nose first into a concrete barrier next to parking bay one, says the spokeswoman, adding that the aircraft is still there.
She says of the 27 people on board, 22 were taken to hospital for treatment and at least 17 were found to be injured.
The two pilots were among the injured but all those taken to hospital have since been discharged except for one woman who was airlifted to another hospital, says the spokeswoman.
Headline: Crash: Merpati MA60 at Kaimana on May 7th 2011, impacted waters before runway
by Simon Hradecky, May 7th 2011Source: avherald.com
A Merpati Nusantara Xian MA-60, registration PK-MZK performing flight MZ-8968 from Sorong to Kaimana (Indonesia) with 21 passengers and 4 crew (25 occupants), last reported its position at 13:45L (04:45Z) about 15nm before touchdown and was on approach to Kaimana's runway 19 when the aircraft impacted waters about 800 meters/2620 feet off the runway at about 14:00L (05:00Z). All occupants perished in the crash.
All 25 bodies have been recovered by May 11th 2011, Indonesia's NTSC confirmed.
Headline: Accident: TAM Bolivia MA60 at Guayaramerin on Jan 9th 2012, gear up landing
Source: avherald.com
A TAM Bolivia Xian MA-60, registration FAB-96 performing a flight from Riberalta to Guayaramerin (Bolivia) with 16 passengers and 5 crew, landed on Guayaramerin's runway 34 without the landing gear lowered and came to a stop about 1300 meters past the runway threshold at about 07:20L (11:20Z). No injuries occurred, the aircraft received substantial damage.
The airline reported the gear could not be lowered resulting in a belly landing, no injuries occurred, the aircraft however received substantial damage. The cause of why the gear was not lowered is being investigated.
Headline: Two injured as plane overshoots runway in Shan State
Written by AFP,Source: mizzima.com
A passenger plane carrying 55 people overran the end of the runway at an airport in eastern Myanmar due to suspected break failure, injuring two people, state media reported on Friday.
The propeller, landing gear and engine of the Chinese-made Xian MA60 turboprop were damaged in the incident, which happened at Monghsat in Shan State on Thursday morning, according to the New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
The flight was operated by state-owned Myanma Airways, according to the report, which said the two injured were sent to hospital, without giving details about their condition.
Headline: Merpati Nusantara Flight MZ-6517 , hard landing airplane broke up
By airplanes24.net, 10 June 2013Source: metrotvnews.com
Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight MZ-6517 Xian MA-60 , registration PK-MZO from Bajawa to Kupang(Indonesia) with 46 passengers and 4 crew landed short and hard on runway 07 at Kupang airport causing the airplane to broke up in two pieces the wing to separate from fuselage and to damage the two propeller motors.All gears from airplane also collapsed with ground.One passenger received also injures and he taken to hospital
At the time of accident it was good weather with winds around 12 knts and visibility more than 10 km
Headline: Merpati Airplane Hardlands in East Indonesia, All Survived
by Xinhua, June 10, 2013Source: wcam.com
A passenger plane operated by Indonesia state owned Merpati Nusantara Airlines hardlanded in East Indoensa's Kupang city Monday morning, everybody on board survived, local media reported.
The MA60 aircraft carrying 45 passengers and 5 crew hardlanded in Eltari Airport of Kupang, the capital city of East Nusatenggara at 9:40 a.m. local time, local media reported that the airplane suffered a large crack in the fuselage and the wings of the plane touched the land.
Featured image: smh.com.au
