The two technicians, Pan Xi and Yuan Li, found at least four apparent faults in the load plan issued by the Boeing Company and authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States. As a result, they asked Boeing to review the plan.

Boeing later confirmed that mistakes had been made during drafting of the cargo configuration map for the US$130 million Boeing 747 cargo plane, and helped modify the initial plan.

Technicians from China Southern Airlines were quoted by the newspaper as saying that the four flaws in the cargo configuration posed a serious risk to the aircraft's normal operating ability. Those flaws, which would have affected the aircraft's balance on landing and take off, could have resulted in an accident.

Boeing China, yesterday, refused to comment on the report during a telephone interview, except to say it might take some time to investigate and confirm. However, industry insiders, who spoke anonymously, said that the report was very likely to be true.

"Without first-hand sources from the airline, reporters would have great difficulty to so precisely discuss such professional, technical issues," they commented.

(China Daily November 26, 2002)