China Eastern Airlines Flight 583

China Eastern Airlines Flight 583 was a China Eastern Airlines flight from Hongqiao Airport, Shanghai, to Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles.

China Eastern Airlines Flight 583

B-2171, the aircraft involved in the accident, at Beijing Capital Airport in 1995
Incident
Date	April 6, 1993
Summary	Pilot error due to accidental in-flight deployment of slats; loss of control
Site	near the Aleutian Islands
Aircraft
Aircraft type	McDonnell-Douglas MD-11
Operator	China Eastern Airlines
Registration	B-2171
Flight origin	Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
Destination	Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupants	255
Passengers	235
Crew	20
Fatalities	2
Injuries	156
Survivors	253

On April 6, 1993, the McDonnell-Douglas MD-11 was cruising above the Pacific Ocean at Mach 0.84 when a crew member accidentally deployed the slats near the Aleutian Islands. The plane then encountered severe oscillations[1] and made an emergency landing at Shemya Air Force Base in Shemya, Semichi Islands, Alaska, United States.[2]

Of the 255 passengers and crew, 60 were hospitalized. Two ultimately died; An American died of his injuries in a hospital.[3] Of the cockpit crew, 5 received no injuries and 3 received serious injuries. Of the flight attendants, 8 received no injuries and 4 received serious injuries. Of the surviving passengers, 84 received no injuries, 96 received minor injuries, and 53 received serious injuries.[4] By April 24, 1993 all but three of the surviving passengers were discharged from the hospital.[3]

Michael Crichton's novel Airframe opens with a fatal incident based on Flight 583.[5]

The airframe, redesignated as N951AR, now serves as a cargo freighter for Miami based Sky Lease Cargo.[6]

China Eastern still uses the flight number 583, although the flight now departs from nearby Pudong Airport using a Boeing 777.[7]