On March 31, 1922, history turned grim when a Beijing-Han Airlines **Handley Page O/7** crashed during landing at **Beijing Nanyuan Airport**, killing all 14 passengers and crew—China’s first fatal aviation disaster. Eyewitnesses described the aircraft clipping trees before slamming into the ground, igniting a fireball that left no survivors.
The tragedy shocked the nation, halting early commercial aviation efforts as investigators scrambled to determine the cause—**suspected low visibility and pilot error**. Newspapers mourned the victims, while the wreckage became a somber symbol of flight’s risks in an era of untested skies.
Though forgotten by many, the disaster spurred China’s first aviation safety reforms, paving the way for regulated air travel. Today, a plaque at Nanyuan Airport silently honors those lost in the catastrophe that reshaped Asian aviation history. #AviationHistory #HandleyPageO7 #ChinaAviation #NanyuanCrash #1922Tragedy #FirstAviationDisaster #AviationSafety #HistoricCrashes #ForgottenHistory #BeijingAviation
