Korean Air 801
WHAT HAPPENED?
The day of August 6, 1997 was a time that changed the Korean Airlines Flight 801. Korean Airlines was operating a Boeing 737-300 when it crashed into a high terrain towards the Won Guam International Airport in Agana, Guam which was about three miles southwest.
Operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), Flight 801 was in route from the Seoul, Korea Kimpo International Airport. On board there were two pilots, one flight engineer, 14 flight attendants and 237 passengers when they impacted Nimitz Hill while on an approach to runway 6L. The results of this terrible crash were fatalities for 228 people of the 254 on board.
WHY DID THE ACCIDENT HAPPEN? The accident was in a category of a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) while concentrating on the aspects of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Korean Airlines, Government of Guam and Boeing are among the group of people conducting the investigation. The flight crew, air traffic control (ATC), the instrumentation design for the Runway, training of Korean Airlines and weather all played a significant part on the accident. The NTSB determined that the cause of the accident was the failure of the captain to brief and conduct a non-precision approach while the first officer and flight engineer 's failure to monitor the situation (NTSB, 2000). The flight crew didn 't plan on using an instrument approach even though they were completely aware of the inoperative glide slope of Runway 6L. The early sight of the airport was a contributing factor of the crew. Although the crew was expecting the visual approach, preparation should have been put in place so that would in essence prepare them for any weather conditions and any approach for that matter. In Aircraft Accident Analysis: Final Reports, it states that there was not enough crew preparation for the difficult instrument approach (Walters & Sumwalt, 2000).
The day of August 6, 1997 was a time that changed the Korean Airlines Flight 801. Korean Airlines was operating a Boeing 737-300 when it crashed into a high terrain towards the Won Guam International Airport in Agana, Guam which was about three miles southwest.
Operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), Flight 801 was in route from the Seoul, Korea Kimpo International Airport. On board there were two pilots, one flight engineer, 14 flight attendants and 237 passengers when they impacted Nimitz Hill while on an approach to runway 6L. The results of this terrible crash were fatalities for 228 people of the 254 on board.
WHY DID THE ACCIDENT HAPPEN? The accident was in a category of a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) while concentrating on the aspects of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Korean Airlines, Government of Guam and Boeing are among the group of people conducting the investigation. The flight crew, air traffic control (ATC), the instrumentation design for the Runway, training of Korean Airlines and weather all played a significant part on the accident. The NTSB determined that the cause of the accident was the failure of the captain to brief and conduct a non-precision approach while the first officer and flight engineer 's failure to monitor the situation (NTSB, 2000). The flight crew didn 't plan on using an instrument approach even though they were completely aware of the inoperative glide slope of Runway 6L. The early sight of the airport was a contributing factor of the crew. Although the crew was expecting the visual approach, preparation should have been put in place so that would in essence prepare them for any weather conditions and any approach for that matter. In Aircraft Accident Analysis: Final Reports, it states that there was not enough crew preparation for the difficult instrument approach (Walters & Sumwalt, 2000).
References: Flight Safety Foundation. (1995). CFIT Checklist Evaluate the Risk and Take Action. Retrieved on November 15, 2005 from: http://www.flightsafety.org/pdf/cfit_check.pdf Flight Safety Foundation. (1995). Recommendations Bring Safety Improvements. Retrieved on November 15, 2005 from: http://www.flightsafety.org/cfit3.html McKenna, J. T. (November 1, 1999). 747 Crash Probe Faults Guam Rescuers. Aviation Week & Space Technology. New York: Vol.151, Iss.18; pg. 43 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). (1995 – 2005). Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT). Retrieved on November 15, 2005 from: http://www.nbaa.org/safety/saferskies/cfit.htm