Los Angeles – Anchorage – Seoul

On November 18, 1980 at 07:25 AM, Los Angeles – Anchorage – Seoul experienced a crash involving Boeing 747-200, operated by Korean Air, with the event recorded near Seoul-Gimpo Seoul (<U+C11C><U+C6B8>).

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

226 people were known to be on board, 14 fatalities were recorded, 212 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 6.2%.

Crew on board: 13, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 213, passenger fatalities: 8, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Following an uneventful flight from Los Angeles via Anchorage, the crew started the approach to Seoul-Gimpo Airport in the early morning, just after sunset. On final to runway 14, with a limited visibility of 1,000 meters due to patches of fog, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane landed 90 meters short of runway threshold. Then the aircraft struck a concrete wall, causing all main gears to be torn off or to pushed back in their respective wheel well, except the nose gear which remained intact. The airplane slid on its belly for about 1,200 metres before coming to rest in flames on the left side of the runway. 14 occupants escaped uninjured while 198 others were injured. Unfortunately, eight passengers and six crew members, among them both pilots, were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by a fire that probably ignited in a cargo compartment.

Aircraft reference details include registration HL7445, MSN 21773, year of manufacture 1979.