Day 8385

Today marks the 4th anniversary of the crash of flight SQ 006, the Singapore Airlines jumbo jet that crashed in Taipei during a heavy rainstorm as it tried to take off on the wrong runway.

The jetliner was approved to take off from one runway, 5-Left, or 5L, but instead took off from the right-sided one, 5R. Construction material, including cement blocks, were on the runway which the jetliner crashed as a typhoon bore down on the Taiwanese capital, with high winds, heavy rains and low visibility, killing 81 of the 179 people aboard the ill-fated flight SQ006 from Taipei to Los Angeles.

Details of Flight SQ006

Passengers and crew on board: 179 Fatalities: 83 Serious Injuries: 39 Minor Injuries: 32 No Injury: 25 Delivery: The plane was delivered in January 1997, Line # 1099. Flying hours: It had about 17,000 hours in the air; more than 2100 takeoffs and landings. Inspection: It was last inspected on Sept. 16, 2000, and had no defects. Design: The plane has a special paint job in connection with a promotional deal with a hotel.

Before the crash... Boeing 747-412 9V-SPK

After the crash...

Recent serious incidents involving SIA flights
Jan 30 '00
An Airbus A310 carrying 154 people skidded off the runway on landing in bad weather at Kuala Lumpur. No one was injured.
Apr 1 '99
An Airbus 310-324 taking off from Singapore was forced to return because of a lightning strike
Mar 15 '99
A Boeing 747-412 was forced to return to Singapore when the left maingear failed to retract after takeoff.
Mar 7 '99
A Boeing 747-412 returned to Singapore when a loud bang was heard on takeoff.

We who are left how shall we look again
Happily on the sun or feel the rain
Without remembering how they who went
Ungrudgingly and spent
Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain?

- Wilfred Wilson Gibson

Day 8355

55 years ago this day, the People's Republic of China was founded. After thousands of years of ruling under feudal lords and various Emperors of different dynasties, followed by decades of civil war. Eventually, a People's Republic and communist rule in China was established which marks a new era in her history.

However, incidents such as the cultural revolution in the late sixties and early seventies, the Tiananmen Incident in 1976 and most recently, the Tiananmen Square Protests 15 years ago still happen where thousands of civilians are arrested and many killed simply because they were labeled as protestors by the government. But then frankly speaking, are they protestors or people with a vision? A dream that they are pursuing? A dream for a better country?

Sometimes it is dangerous to make a stand for freedom and in some places of the world, freedom of speech is not tolerated.

But people who dare to dream never seem to be bother by these uncertainties...

Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.