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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 1883.PDF
HEADLINES .^iilW^^Pililill P^^«?8^^^ '•jm&&t&$i. Surinam DC-8 crashes ADouglas DC-8-62 operated by Surinam Airways crashed on approach two miles from Paramaribo Zandery, Surinam's capital city airport. A total of 174 people, includ ing the American crew, died in the accident on June 6, but 14 survived. The US National Trans portation Safety Board has begun an investigation. The US-registered aircraft, N1809E, belonged to Surinam Airways' US-based holding company and was leased back to the airline. It was operat ing an Amsterdam-Paramaribo service. An airline spokesman in Surinam said that visibility was 3,000ft in fog as the aircraft approached runway 10. He denied that the crew made two previous attempts to land. Paramaribo has VOR, and a co-located 3° glideslope ILS and DME on runway 10. Surrounding terrain is low-lying. Q INSIDE FLANKER The Sukhoi Su-27 cockpit appears old-fashioned, but is neat and func tional as this Flight exclusive photograph reveals. It is not compatible with night-vision goggles. USA breaks links with China The future of US commercial deals with China is unclear after President Bush suspended all military sales and McDonnell Douglas closed the MD-80 prod uction line at Shanghai in the wake of the Army's bloody confrontations with students. "It's not going to be business as usual," says Bush. The decision affects four contracts under the US foreign military sales programme, together worth about $656 million. By far the biggest is Grumman's $502 million contract to upgrade the airframe, avionics, and radar of China's F-8 interceptors. Grumman was due to deliver production avionics kits in 1991, and was not immediately told to stop work by the US Air Force, which is handling the contract. 'We're still waiting for direc tions," says Grumman. Also included in the ban is a $60 million deal to supply four artillery locating radars, some of which were delivered last year. The USA is also helping China upgrade its ammunition programme under a $38 million contract, and has sold—but not delivered—four 1970-vintage anti-submarine torpedoes. Bush also suspended visits between US and Chinese military leaders, and the status of various other commercial programmes— including satellite launches—is unclear. Among those is another Grumman contract to upgrade F-7 fighters for export sale. Work on the joint Shanghai Aircraft/McDonnell Douglas MD-80 line came to a halt at the start of the month, when the US company withdrew all its staff from China on US State Department advice. The company chartered an aircraft to fly 51 US nationals and their wives to Hong Kong, pend ing a review. The employees are mainly training and supervisory staff based at Shanghai, Chengdu, and Shengyang. Only 12 out of a planned 40 MD-82s have been completed. Q FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 17 June 1989 5
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