bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Andy Gilbert

AIRCRAFT will be barred from the new $109 million taxiway bridge at Kai Tak after the wrecked China Airlines jet is lifted from Victoria Harbour and placed there today.

  Salvage experts aim to raise the Boeing 747-400 from its resting place in the harbour where it crashed on November 4, and lift it to dry land.

  It will be the first time a 747 has been lifted from the sea.

  Originally it was hoped to place the plane on the airport apron opposite the runway, but engineers advised it might not be strong enough to take the weight.

 At a meeting between experts from the Hong Kong Towage and Salvage Company, engineers, China Airlines, and the Civil Aviation Department acting Director Richard Siegel yesterday afternoon, it was decided to lift the plane onto the newly-constructed bridge.

  Up to 150 aircraft use the bridge each day, but deputy airport general manager Tony Norman said it would not cause major disruption to normal marshalling of aircraft.

  ''The bridge has only been in operation for three months so we will just revert to the way we operated before,'' he said.

  The bridge was built as a short cut for aircraft parking on the just-completed south apron.

  Mr Norman said only four aircraft were using the apron, but it would be fully operational in the next few months.

  ''Planes use the runway at the moment as a short cut to other parking areas, but they can just as easily use the runway taxiway.''   The China Airlines jumbo skidded into the harbour while attempting to land in a severe tropical storm.

  The lifting operation was due to start at dawn with the largest floating crane in Hong Kong, Proteus 1, moving into position by the stricken jet.

  A specially-made 12-metre beam will be hooked on to the crane, from which strengthened cable will be attached.

  The cable will pass down into cut-away sections on top of the wings and attach to the landing gear trunnions capable of supporting the plane's weight.

  A small crane on a floating barge alongside Proteus 1 will support the nose of the plane with four 25-centimetre wide nylon webbing slings.

  Once the plane is released from its moorings, it will be lifted from the 32 air bags which were supporting it.

   The barge and Proteus 1, which will be tied together, will then be steered into Kwun Tong typhoon shelter by four tugs.

  The plan is to place the 747 onto the taxiway bridge where it will be washed down and dried out. Only then will the decision be taken when to move it again using a specially designed unit acting as a trolley.

  Investigations into the cause of the crash will examine the plane and the parts taken off, which are being stored in the old fire depot next to the runway.

  Hong Kong Salvage and Towage Company managing director Alan Curtis said all the seats apart from first class and the upper deck, had been taken off to lessen the load and to give access to the cargo hold.

  A luxury car which had been in the cargo hold will also be salvaged once the plane is lifted from the harbour.

  ''We have taken off all the luggage and all the cargo, apart from the Mercedes which is fine as it rested above the water line,'' he said.

  ''All the galleys were stripped and trolleys taken out and carpets were removed. There was also [2.3 tonnes] of fuel to be removed.''   He said divers worked in very difficult conditions to seal the aircraft last week in preparation for today's lift.



Salvaged jet to block new bridge