Mcdonnell Douglas MD11 accident near Shanghai, Cn, November 28, 2009
On November 28, 2009 at about 8:16 am local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas MD11, registered ZBAV, was destroyed in an accident near Shanghai (Pudong Shanghai airport). It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. 3 people were killed and 4 people were seriously injured.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2009 · about 8:16 am local time
- Place
- Shanghai, China · Pudong Shanghai
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas MD11 F · all MD11s on the register
- Registration
- ZBAV · no longer on the register · serial 48408
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On November 28, 2009, at 0816 local time, a Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-11, manufacturer serial number 48408, Zimbabwe registration Z-BAV, operated by Avient Aviation, crashed on takeoff from runway 35L at Pudong airport, Shanghai, China. The airplane was destroyed by fire and impact forces. There were 3 fatalities and 4 serious injuries among the seven crew members aboard the cargo flight. The accident is being investigated by the CAAC of China.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Not recorded
- Operator: Avient Aviation
The flight
- Runway 35L
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.