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CNN Saturday Morning News

Search Effort Under Way at China Airlines Jet Crash Site

Aired May 25, 2002 - 09:27   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A search effort is under way off the coast of Taiwan where a China Airlines flight went down.

Joining us now with the latest from Hong Kong, CNN senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy. Mike, what's the latest?

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT: The latest is that a little over six hours ago, China Airlines flight CI-611 took off from the main international airport in Taiwan heading here to Hong Kong.

This is one of the busiest air routes in Asia, but the plane never made it. About halfway through the flight, which normally takes about an hour and 10 minutes, it simply disappeared from the radar screen and crashed into the sea in waters about 30 miles off the coast of western Taiwan.

Officials say there was no Mayday or distress call from the experienced cockpit crew. The plane was flying at its normal cruising altitude of 35,000 feet when the catastrophe took place.

A few moments ago, the chairman of China Airlines was quoted as saying that he did not think that mechanical difficulties were likely to have caused the crash, noting that any kind of major mechanical malfunction would have given the pilots enough time to radio a distress call.

There are reports from some eyewitnesses, fishermen in the area in the waters where the plane came down, quoting -- being quoted by Taiwan television as hearing a loud explosion. And some farmers in western Taiwan have said -- have found bits of debris in their fields.

So there is some speculation that there might have been an explosion on board.

The plane was built in 1979 and was one of the oldest in the China Airlines fleet. Although it had been inspected recently, it was due to be retired soon because of its age.

China Airlines has one of the worst safety records in the world. In the 1990s it had three major crashes in which hundreds of people were killed, and in the last couple of years it had been in the midst of a major reorganization and management reshuffle to try and improve its abysmal reputation. A major investigation is now under way. Search teams are at the scene of the crash looking for bodies. There are no reports of any survivors.

PHILLIPS: Senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy. Thanks, Mike.

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