Wuhan Airlines Xian Yunshuji Y7-100 plane crash

The Wuhan Airlines Xian Y-7 was arriving at Wuhan while a severe thunderstorm affected the area. The aircraft held for about thirty minutes before beginning its approach when conditions appeared to allow the flight to continue.

During the approach, the aircraft went out of control and crashed near a waterway, also striking a boat. All occupants were killed and there were additional fatalities on the ground. Several historical accounts mention a lightning strike, but sources differ on the exact number of occupants.

Investigation findings

We did not identify a publicly accessible CAAC final report capable of confirming that lightning was the direct cause of the accident or of defining the role of other convective-weather phenomena. The article therefore retains the severe weather and the reported lightning strike as elements of the sequence without presenting them as a certain investigation conclusion.