Radar data provided by China to assist in the investigation of the crash of China Airlines' flight CI611 shows that the Boeing 747-200 experienced unusual changes in speed during its last 11 minutes before breaking up in mid-air and plunging into the Taiwan Strait, KMT Legislator Mu Min-chu (穆閩珠) said yesterday.
Mu, who received the optical disk containing the data from Chinese officials on Sunday, released at a press conference the views of the Chinese officials who viewed the data. The press conference was held just before she was to hand the disc to the Cabinet's Aviation Safety Council (ASC, 飛安會).
Mu traveled to China on behalf of the private Cross Strait Trade Association (
Mu said that Chinese aviation experts told her that they had ascertained from the data that the fluctuations in air speed were "unusual and believed by the Chinese officials to be the key to the accident."
The data showed, she said, that in the 11 minutes before the aircraft disappeared from radar, it had continued to gain altitude but its speed had decreased from more than 800kph to 752kph. Its speed then increased again to more than 850kph.
"It is unusual for a plane that is climbing to slow down suddenly and then accelerate again," Mu said.
The Chinese officials concurred with the ASC's view that the plane broke up into four pieces at an elevation of more than 9,100m.
The ASC said that it would examine the data and integrate it with information from local aviation authorities for further analysis.
Asked whether the ASC agreed with the Chinese aviation experts, ASC investigator Tracy Jen (任靜怡) told the Taipei Times that while investigators appreciated China's help, "It is too early to draw any conclusions before we have the data analysis from the laboratory because we presume that the information provided is very general."
* Information provided by China shows the plane experienced unusual changes in speed prior to crashing.
* Chinese officials support the Aviation Safety Council's view that the plane broke into four pieces at an elevation of more than 9,100m.
The ASC said that a preliminary description of the new information would be released within 48 hours.
Taiwanese naval vessels and fishing boats have been scouring the sea for bodies and wreckage since the CAL flight crashed 11 days ago.
Only 102 bodies have been recovered and the crucial "black boxes" -- the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder -- have yet to be found. The jet crashed with 255 people aboard on May 25.
Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (海基會) requested China's assistance on Friday, but China responded to the Cross Strait Trade Association, which was founded by KMT Legislator Ho Jyh-huei (何智輝) and is dominated by KMT legislators known to have good relations with China.
According to Jen, Taiwan has also asked the US to provide satellite data for the investigation and is awaiting a response.
A second tape showing submerged wreckage filmed by an undersea camera attached to a navy minesweeper was screened in Penghu yesterday for the benefit of relatives of the victims. An earlier video was shown Friday.
According to China Airlines, the tape showed some first-class seats and the front cargo cabin but a large part of the wreckage filmed was covered by sand.
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