1998 in aviation
Encyclopedia
This is a list of aviation
-related events from 1998:
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
-related events from 1998:
Events
- Cirrus Aircraft successfully flight-tests the CAPS ballistic emergency aircraft parachute.
- Adam Aircraft IndustriesAdam Aircraft IndustriesAdam Aircraft Industries was an aircraft manufacturer founded by George F. Adam Jr and John C. Knudsen in 1998. The company was located at Centennial Airport in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area of Colorado....
founded - Eclipse AviationEclipse AviationEclipse Aviation Corporation was the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based manufacturer of the Eclipse 500 very light jet and also at one time proposed developing the Eclipse 400 single-engined jet....
founded
January
- January 13 – An Ariana Afghan AirlinesAriana Afghan AirlinesAriana Afghan Airlines Co. Ltd. is the oldest and the national airline of Afghanistan, and is currently the largest Afghan airline, headquartered in Kabul...
Antonov An-12Antonov An-12The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:...
crashed near Tor Kach, PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
after it ran out of fuel in poor weather. All 51 people on board died. - January 27 – A Myanma AirwaysMyanma AirwaysMyanma Airways Corporation is the national flag carrier and state-owned airline of Myanmar, based in Yangon. It operates scheduled services to all major domestic destinations. Its main base is Yangon International Airport.- History :...
Fokker F27Fokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
crashed while taking off from YangonYangonYangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
, MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
killing 16 of the 45 people on board.
February
- February 2 – Cebu PacificCebu PacificCebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific Air, is based on the grounds of Ninoy Aquino International Airport , Pasay City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations...
Flight 387Cebu Pacific Flight 387Cebu Pacific Flight 387 was a domestic Cebu Pacific Air flight from Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City on Mindanao Island. On February 2, 1998, the 31-year old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 crashed on the slopes of Mount Sumagaya in Claveria, Misamis...
crashes into a mountain near PagalunganPagalungan, MaguindanaoPagalungan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Maguindanao, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 25,908 people in 4,715 households.-Barangays:Pagalungan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays.* Bagoenged...
in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. All of the 104 passengers and crew members are killed. - February 16 – China AirlinesChina AirlinesChina Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
Flight 676China Airlines Flight 676China Airlines Flight 676 crashed into a road and residential area near Taoyuan County's Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, Taiwan on the night of February 16, 1998....
, an Airbus A300-60DRAirbus A300The Airbus A300 is a short- to medium-range widebody jet airliner. Launched in 1972 as the world's first twin-engined widebody, it was the first product of Airbus Industrie, a consortium of European aerospace companies, wholly owned today by EADS...
, crashes into a residential area while attempting to land in TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. All 196 people on board are killed, in addition to six on the ground. Among the dead is the president of Taiwan's central bankCentral bankA central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
, Sheu Yuan-dong.
March
- March 19 – An Ariana Afghan AirlinesAriana Afghan AirlinesAriana Afghan Airlines Co. Ltd. is the oldest and the national airline of Afghanistan, and is currently the largest Afghan airline, headquartered in Kabul...
Boeing 727Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
hits a mountain near Charasyab, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
while descending to land. All 45 on board die. - March 22 – Philippine AirlinesPhilippine AirlinesPhilippine Airlines, Inc. operating as Philippine Airlines, is a flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered in the Philippine National Bank Financial Center in Pasay City, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name...
Flight 137Philippine Airlines Flight 137Philippine Airlines Flight 137 was a scheduled passenger flight from Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Bacolod City Domestic Airport.-March 22, 1998 accident:...
, an Airbus A320-214Airbus A320The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
with 127 people on board, overshoots the end of the runway while landing at Bacolod City Domestic AirportBacolod City Domestic AirportBacolod City Domestic Airport , also known as Bacolod Airport, was the airport serving the general area of Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental in the Philippines...
in Bacolod CityBacolod CityThe City of Bacolod , is a highly urbanized midsize Philippine city. It is the capital of the Negros Occidental province. Having a total of 499,497 inhabitants as of August 1, 2007, it is the most populous city in the Western Visayas Region. It is currently ranked as the 17th most populous city in...
in the Philippines, plowing through several houses. All on board the airliner survive, but three people on the ground die; 89 people are injured in the accident.
April
- April 20 – Air France Flight 422Air France Flight 422Air France Flight 422 was a scheduled flight on 20 April 1998 by Air France from Bogotá, Colombia, to Quito, Ecuador. The Boeing 727 was destroyed, killing all 53 people on board, when it crashed into the mountains east of Bogotá because of foggy weather and low visibility after taking off from...
, a Boeing 727Boeing 727The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
, crashes into a mountain near BogotáBogotáBogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, in foggy weather shortly after takeoff from El Dorado International AirportEl Dorado International AirportEl Dorado International Airport is an international airport located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the largest Latin America airport in terms of cargo movements with 593,946 tons and the third in terms of passenger traffic, only behind São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport and Mexico City's...
, killing all 53 people on board.
May
- May 26 – An MIAT Mongolian AirlinesMIAT Mongolian AirlinesMIAT Mongolian Airlines , Mongolian Civil Air Transport) is Mongolia's national airline, headquartered in the MIAT Building in Ulaanbataar, the capital...
Antonov An-24Antonov An-24The Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau from 1957.-Design and development:...
crashed into a mountain near ErdenetErdenetErdenet is the third-largest city in Mongolia and the capital of the aimag of Orkhon.Located in the northern part of the country, it lies in a valley between the Selenge and Orkhon rivers about 150 miles northwest of Ulan Bator, the capital...
, Mongolia. All 28 people on board died.
July
- July 1 – JAL ExpressJAL Express, is a low-cost airline with its headquarters in the on the grounds of Osaka International Airport and in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, and its main hub at Osaka International Airport. The airline also maintains Tokyo offices in the Japan Airlines Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan...
, operated by Japan AirlinesJapan Airlinesis an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
, commenced operations. - July 6 – Hong Kong's Kai Tak AirportKai Tak AirportKai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. It was officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok, 30 km to the west...
was closed at 1:28am with the lights of its 13/31 runway being switched off. Operation of the new Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
at Chek Lap Kok commenced on the same day, with the first commercial flight landing at 6:25am.
August
- August 21 – an Insitu AerosondeInsitu AerosondeThe Aerosonde is a small unmanned aerial vehicle designed to collect weather data, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and wind measurements, over oceans and remote areas. The Aerosonde was developed by Insitu, and is now manufactured by Aerosonde Ltd, which is a strategic...
named Laima becomes the first UAVUnmanned aerial vehicleAn unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
to cross the Atlantic Ocean, completing the flight in 26 hours. - August 21 – A Lumbini Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin OtterThe DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC...
crashed in a mountainous region near Ghorepani, NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. All of the 18 people on board were killed. - August 24 – A Myanma AirwaysMyanma AirwaysMyanma Airways Corporation is the national flag carrier and state-owned airline of Myanmar, based in Yangon. It operates scheduled services to all major domestic destinations. Its main base is Yangon International Airport.- History :...
Fokker F27Fokker F27The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
crashed in Manibagi, MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
during poor weather. All 44 people on board were killed. It has also been reported that there may have been survivors that were tortured to death by local villagers that thought the aircraft carried military personnel. - August 29 – A Cubana de AviaciónCubana de AviaciónCubana de Aviación S.A., commonly known as Cubana, is Cuba's largest airline and flag carrier. The airline was founded on 8 October 1929, and has its corporate headquarters in Havana. Its main base is at José Martí International Airport...
Tupolev Tu-154Tupolev Tu-154The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
crashed during takeoff into buildings in QuitoQuitoSan Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Ecuador. Seventy-five of the 90 people on board died as well as 10 on the ground.
September
- September 2 – SwissairSwissairSwissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
Flight 111Swissair Flight 111Swissair Flight 111 was a Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 on a scheduled airline flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, United States to Cointrin International Airport in Geneva, Switzerland...
, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11McDonnell Douglas MD-11The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a three-engine medium- to long-range widebody jet airliner, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and, later, by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Based on the DC-10, it features a stretched fuselage, increased wingspan with winglets, refined airfoils on the wing and smaller...
, crashed into the sea near HalifaxHalifax Regional Municipality, Nova ScotiaHalifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
, Nova Scotia in Canada, due to smoke in the cockpit caused by insulation burning in the shell. All 229 people on board perished. - September 2 – A Permaviatrans Antonov An-26Antonov An-26The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
was shot down by UNITA rebels over AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. All 24 people on board were killed. - September 25 – A Paukn Air BAe 146BAe 146The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
crashed near NadorNadorNador is a city located in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco. The city is a Mediterranean port on the Bḥar Ameẓẓyan lagoon , and it is the major trading center in the region for fish, fruit, and livestock...
, Morocco killing all 38 people on board. - September 29 – A Lion AirLion AirNot to be confused with the Sri Lankan airline Lionair.PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is Indonesia’s largest private carrier and Asia’s first hybrid carrier which offers both economy and business-class seating, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lion Air also flies to Singapore,...
Antonov An-2Antonov An-2The Antonov An-2 is a single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed in the USSR in 1946...
was shot down by LTTELiberation Tigers of Tamil EelamThe Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
rebels and crashed into the sea off MannarMannar, Sri LankaMannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
, Sri Lanka. All 55 people on board were killed.
December
- December 10 – Captain Michael VandenBos of the SnowbirdsSnowbirdsOfficially known as the Royal Canadian Air Force's 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada's military aerobatics or air show flight demonstration team whose purpose is to "demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of Canadian Forces personnel". The squadron is based at...
aerobatic team dies in a midair collision between two CT-114 Tutors during training near Moose Jaw, SaskatchewanMoose Jaw, SaskatchewanMoose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
. - December 11 – Thai Airways International Flight 261, an Airbus A310-300, crashes on its third attempt to land at Surat Thani AirportSurat Thani AirportSurat Thani Airport is situated in the Phunphin district, Surat Thani province, Thailand. The airport, which is located 21 km west of Surat Thani, is also the Wing 7 Airforce base...
near Surat ThaniSurat ThaniSurat Thani is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It is the capital of the province Surat Thani. The city has a population of 128,179 , and an area of 68.97 square kilometers. The city's population density is 1,858.47 inhabitants per km².Suran Thani is...
, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, in heavy rain, killing 101 of the 146 people on board and leaving all 45 survivors injured.
March
- March 6 – Bell Eagle EyeBell Eagle Eye-References:* This article contains material that originally came from the web article by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.-External links:** * ....
scaled prototype tiltrotor UAV. - March 12 – X-38 Crew Return VehicleX-38 Crew Return Vehicle|- Trivia :* The Oakland-based, Space-themed punk/rockabilly band, The Phenomenauts, released a song called "Where is the X-38?" openly criticizing the cancellation of the X-38 project. The song was released on their second album, Re-Entry, in 2004....
atmospheric test prototype