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     Tragedies - SIA SQ006 Crash

       Singapore Airlines' SQ006 Crash at Chiang Kai Shek Airport

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      Summary

     Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ006 crashed at Chiang Kai Shek International Airport on 31 Oct 2000 at 11.18pm Taiwan local time.  It was carrying 159 passengers and 20 crew. 

The latest list indicates:

31 uninjured, 64 injured, and 84 dead.

     It is the first involving fatalities in SIA's 28-year history. In a press conference early on 1 Nov 2000, SIA chairman Michael FAM said that an immediate payout of US$25,000 will be given to families of the deceased passengers. Passengers who survive will each get US$5,000.

     Hotlines: Singapore Tel: (65) 5423311, Taiwan Tel: 03-328-1200, & USA Tel: 1800-828-0508.

     Here is the list of nationalities of the passengers:

     11 Singaporeans

     55 Taiwanese

     8 Malaysians

     5 Indonesians

     11 Indians

     8 Mexicans

     47 Americans

     2 New Zealanders

     2 Thais

     4 Britons

     2 Vietnamese

     1 Australian

     1 Canary Islands (Spain) citizen

     1 Canadian

     5 Indonesians

     1 German

     1 Cambodian

     1 Japanese

     1 Ireland citizen

     1 Filipino

     Complete list of passengers & crew

     Ministry of Transport's comments on final report of investigation into SQ006 accident

 

     NEWS SNIPPETS

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has settled a negligence suit brought by SQ006 plane-crash victim Dr Harald Linke, 67, in the United States. The amount awarded remains confidential under the terms of the settlement. (Straits Times 20 Sep 2003 3) 

  The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CIAS) yesterday told the three men in the cockpit of the 747-400 which crashed and killed 83 people on 31 Oct 2000 that they had cleared the first phase of the re-licensing process. They need to undergo medical and psychological assessments as well as extensive flight re-training and flying tests before they can fly again. In a statement yesterday, CIAS said that the decision to go ahead with the medical and flying tests was based on the recommendations of a five-member panel, including two pilot licensing experts from the United Kingdom and France, who studied the crash investigation reports. (Straits Times 16 Oct 2002) (H4)

  Taiwan's judicial authorities yesterday decided not to prosecute the three pilots of SQ006, although finding them in part negligent in the crash that killed 83 people two years ago. Instead, prosecution against them has been suspended for three years, said Mr CHIANG Kuei-chang, chief of the review department of the Taoyuan Prosecutors' Office. If they commit any crimes in Taiwanese jurisdiction in that time, the authorities can still prosecute them. (Straits Times 15 Jun 2002) (4)
  The three SQ006 pilots were back home in Singapore yesterday, a day after testifying before Taiwanese prosecutors. (Straits Times 10 May 2002) (6)

  The three pilots of Singapore Airlines SQ006 have agreed to return to Taipei to attend a hearing tomorrow that could decide if they will be prosecuted for their part in the crash that killed 83 people 18 months ago. Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council pinned the blame for the crash mainly on the pilots - Captain FOONG Chee Kong, 43, and first officers Latiff Cyrano, 38, and NG Kheng Leng, 40. (Straits Times 7 May 2002) (1)

  The pilots involved in the Singapore Airlines SQ006 crash will not be indicted immediately after the questioning and will be free to leave Taiwan after their interview next week, Taiwanese prosecutors said yesterday. (Straits Times 4 May 2002) (8)

  Taiwan's prosecutors have summoned the three pilots of Singapore Airlines SQ006 to appear at a hearing in Taipei next Wednesday over a crash that killed 83 people on 31 Oct 2000. News that the prosecutors want to see the pilots has been accompanied by speculation in Taipei that they may be detained right after their testimony in Taiwan next week. (Straits Times 2 May 2002) (1)

  Singapore's ties with Taiwan will not be affected by the dispute over what caused the crash of SQ006, said Deputy Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong yesterday. He said the two countries had many bilateral ties which would remain. Singapore, he said, had "put the facts out". People who read its report could come to their own conclusions. He noted that the Singapore team had included foreign aviation experts who had their reputations to protect and would not give wrong information. (Straits Times 29 Apr 2002) (3)
   The three pilots of SQ006, Captain FOONG Chee Kong, and First Officers Latiff Cyrano and NG Kheng Leng, who have been suspended from flying duties since the SQ006 crash, hope to be allowed to fly for Singapore Airlines again, sources said yesterday, on the eve of the crash investigation reports. All three men hope the release of the findings by the authorities in both Taiwan and Singapore will clear the way for the suspension of their flying licences to be lifted. (Straits Times 26 Apr 2002) (3)

  Taipei: Singapore officials are unhappy that they were excluded from discussions when Taiwanese investigators analysed the facts collected in preparing the report on the October 2000 crash of Singapore Airlines Flight SQ 006. Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council (ASC) investigated the Oct 31 crash that led to 83 deaths and its report apparently lays the blame solely on the pilots. (Straits Times 27 Mar 2002) (1) 

  Taipei: Singapore Airlines (SIA) will hold a service here on Oct 31, the first anniversary of the SQ006 crash, in memory of the 83 victims who died. (Straits Times 27 Oct 2001)(6)

  The High Court yesterday dismissed a lawsuit against SilkAir by families of six of the 104 people killed when Flight MI 185 crashed in Indonesia four years ago. Justice TAN Lee Meng ruled yesterday that they had failed to prove the pilot deliberately caused the Boeing 737 to crash into the Musi River on Dec 19, 1997, on a flight from Jakarta to Singapore. (Straits Times 25 Oct 2001)(3)

  The first day of the hearing in which the families of six victims of the MI 185 crash are suing SilkAir for negligence took place in High Court No. 19 yesterday. Those now suing SilkAir are relatives of the late Eugene Francis Clark, 56; Mr Jonathan Edward OEY, 39; Madam Berenice Braislin OEY, 71; Mr LEE Eng Seng, 51, a Singaporean; Mr John Parappuram, 45, a Singaporean; and Madam Judith PANG Swee Gan, 35. (Straits Times 3 Jul 2001)

 The investigation into the SQ 006 crash at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport has shown that some airport facilities were not up to international standard at the time of the tragedy. Releasing his fact-finding report, chief investigator Yong Kay said at a press conference on 23 Feb 2001that the markings on taxiway N1 leading to Runway 05L, the correct runway for take-off, did not meet international standards. (Straits Times 24 Feb 2001)

  The three pilots held by Taiwanese authorities for more than seven weeks since the SQ006 crash were expected home on 21 Dec 2000. Their release came after Singapore Airlines assured Taiwanese prosecutors it would do its best to return them if they were needed for further investigations. (Straits Times 22 Dec 2000)

  The three pilots of Singapore Airlines flight SQ006 have to remain in Taiwan longer, as prosecutors investigating the crash have added more conditions for lifting a ban on their departure. (Straits Times 16 Dec 2000)

  Taiwanese authorities in Taipei said on 8 Dec 2000 that the three Singapore Airlines pilots involved in the SQ006 crash would be allowed to return home, perhaps as early as Friday 15 Dec 2000. The Taoyuan prosecutors' office said in a statement on 8 Dec 2000 that the Singapore Trade Office could sign papers to undertake responsibility for the three pilots on 15 Dec 2000. The Singapore Trade Office said it was seeking instructions from Singapore. It also confirmed that the Singapore Government had made a representation to the Taiwanese authorities earlier on letting the three pilots reurn home. (Straits Times 9 Dec 2000)

  The Singapore Government has asked the Taiwan authorities to let the three SQ006 crash pilots come home, but has been told they are still being needed for the investigation. (Straits Times 29 Nov 2000)

  The last Singaporean SQ006 crash survivor still in Taipei, Madam LEE Suet Yee, 30, died on 24 Nov 2000. She is the 83rd person to die as a result of the runway accident at Chiang Kai Shek Airport in Taipei. Madam LEE was an internal auditor with the United Overseas Bank and was on her way to Los Angeles to conduct an audit of the office there.

  Singapore Airlines has appointed one of the largest Taiwanese law firms to act for the three pilots of flight SQ006 and to defend them if crash-related charges are brought against them, said Mr YEO Cheow Tong, Minister for Communications and Information Technology on 19 Nov 2000.

  Taipei: Taiwanese President CHEN Shui-bian joined about 2000 other mourners at the public memorial service on 18 Nov 2000 for the 82 people who died in the SQ006 crash on 31 Oct 2000 at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. Among those who attending the memorial were 400 relatives of the deceased, more than 100 of whom had flown in from Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, the US and Britain.

  Singapore crash survivors - flight stewardess Farzana Abdul Razak, 18, bank officer Ms NG Siok Chin, 38, and army officer Major ANG Ming Chuang - arrived in Singapore from Taipei on Sunday 5 Nov 2000 at 11pm. They are all in stable condition but will remain in the burns intensive care at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for the next one to three weeks. The Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Mr YEO Cheow Tong, visited the three patients separately and also spoke to their relatives on 6 Nov 2000.

  The death toll from the SQ006 crash climbed to 82 with the death in hospital of a Taiwanese passenger, Mr LIN Mingliang. Of the 179 who had been on board, 11 Singaporeans and 71 others have died. All the bodies have been identified and will be claimed on 6 Nov 2000.

  Singapore Airlines has offered each of the families of the passengers and crew killed in the SQ006 crash US$400,000 (about S$700,000) compensation "without delay". In a brief statement on 4 Nov 2000, it said it would also pay the medical expenses of the injured and discuss compensation with them. 

  Singapore said its officials would "leave no stone unturned" to find out what caused the SQ006 accident, shortly after crash investigators in Taiwan announced conclusively that the pilot made a mistake and was on the wrong runway when he tried to take off. (3 Nov 2000)

  Taiwan's aviation authorities said on 2 Nov 2000 that wreckage and debris from SQ006 were found mainly on the closed Runway 5R. This runs parallel to Runway 5L, which the jumbo jet had been cleared to use for takeoff.