Aircraft carrier blows siren in tribute to Luo Yang

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, sounded its siren shortly after 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning in a show of respect for Luo Yang, on-site director-in-chief of China's carrier-borne fighter jet research program.

The crew lined up on the bow deck and saluted Luo, who experienced a heart attack onboard the carrier on Sunday, the same day that the J-15, China's new carrier-borne fighter jet, made a successful landing on the Liaoning. He died later in hospital.

"Luo had worked days and nights with us ever since he boarded the ship on Nov. 18," said Song Xue, deputy director of staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday.

"Luo passed away suddenly, when we planned to celebrate the successful landing of the J-15," said a sobbing Song, who called Luo a "flag of the experimental team."

Wu Shengli, a member of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and commander of the PLA Navy, on Tuesday sent representatives to bid farewell to Luo at AVIC Shenyang Aircraft Corp., where Luo also served as chairman and general manager.