The Hainan Island Incident: A Chronology
Written originally for this site, based on public historical records.
From March 2001, U.S. reconnaissance aircraft repeatedly flew close to the waters southeast of Hainan Island. Chinese fighters scrambled to track them, and encounters in the air became frequent.
On the morning of April 1, two J-8II fighters took off on a tracking mission. Roughly 110 km southeast of Hainan Island, a U.S. EP-3E collided with one of them. The Chinese fighter crashed into the sea and its pilot Wang Wei ejected and was lost; the damaged U.S. aircraft entered Chinese airspace without permission and landed at Lingshui airfield on Hainan, its 24 crew members taken into custody.
From April 1 to 14, China mounted a large joint military-civilian search. In parallel, intensive diplomatic exchanges took place over responsibility: China demanded an apology and accountability, while the U.S. side responded with the phrase "very sorry," a formula the two sides interpreted differently.
On April 11–12 the 24 U.S. crew members were allowed to depart. With the search ended in vain, Wang Wei was confirmed dead, posthumously recognized as a revolutionary martyr and awarded the honorary title "Guardian of the Sea and Sky." Ever since, "81192, please return" has become a spontaneous annual act of remembrance each April 1.