Chen has conducted a detailed analysis from the technological aspect on the whole process of the collision between the U.S. and Chinese military planes that occurred in the airspace of China's exclusive economic zone near Hainan Island on April 1.

"First of all, the damaged antennas under the wing of the U.S. plane were leaning backward, which demonstrates that the outer side of the left wing of the U.S. plane was one of the first parts to bump into the Chinese plane," Chen said.

"Then came the airscrew of the second engine on the left wing, for the airscrew has been damaged and deformed. "Lastly, the head of the U.S. plane knocked the tail of the Chinese plane, and the cover of the radar antenna on the head was knocked off," Chen said.

The above damaged parts of the U.S. plane were all located at the left-front part, which shows that the U.S. plane abruptly veered towards the Chinese plane while the latter was flying in parallel with the former, Chen said.

"It was the U.S. plane that violated the flight rules, and this fact is clear enough," Chen emphasized. The tail of a plane comprises a vertical wing and a horizontal one, which play a vital role in manipulating and controlling the flight. For any plane with fixed wings, it is impossible for the pilot to control the plane when its tail wing has been seriously damaged.

Chen said that the U.S. plane is several times bigger than the Chinese plane in terms of both weight and size, and the U.S. plane bumped the Chinese plane several times, causing it seriously damage and leading to the crash.

"As a professional working on aeronautics engineering technology for decades, I have to extend my indignation over and condemn the U.S. plane's role in the collision," Chen said, calling upon the U.S. side to face up to the fact, shoulder its due responsibility and offer a fair and reasonable explanation to the Chinese people.

(Xinhua 04/07/2001)