Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 19 November 1980
Aircraft Type: Boeing 747-2B5B
Owner/operator: Korean Air Lines – KAL
Registration Number: HL7445
Location: Seoul-Gimpo (Kimpo) International Airport (SEL) – ÿ South Korea
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 212
Component Affected: Aircraft Structure (specifically, the wings, struts, and cargo compartment)Aircraft Structure (specifically, the wings, struts, and cargo compartment)
Category: Accident
A Korean Air Lines Boeing 747-200, flight 015, experienced a significant landing accident at Seoul-Gimpo Airport, resulting in the loss of 14 passengers and 198 crew members. The aircraft, operating from Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul (SEL) with a refueling stop at Anchorage (ANC), landed 90 meters short of the runway and collided with a 45-degree embankment slope. The impact caused significant damage to the aircraft, including a rupture in the cargo compartment, leading to a slide down the runway and damage to the wings and struts. Fire erupted in the cargo compartment, originating from sparks and hydraulic fluid from the ruptured struts, quickly spreading and engulfing the aircraft. The fire quickly filled the plane with smoke, and the smoke entered the seats, causing smoke inhalation injuries. The incident involved a significant fire that quickly spread throughout the aircraft.A Korean Air Lines Boeing 747-200, flight 015, experienced a significant landing accident at Seoul-Gimpo Airport, resulting in the loss of 14 passengers and 198 crew members. The aircraft, operating from Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul (SEL) with a refueling stop at Anchorage (ANC), landed 90 meters short of the runway and collided with a 45-degree embankment slope. The impact caused significant damage to the aircraft, including a rupture in the cargo compartment, leading to a slide down the runway and damage to the wings and struts. Fire erupted in the cargo compartment, originating from sparks and hydraulic fluid from the ruptured struts, quickly spreading and engulfing the aircraft. The fire quickly filled the plane with smoke, and the smoke entered the seats, causing smoke inhalation injuries. The incident involved a significant fire that quickly spread throughout the aircraft.

Description

Korean Air Lines flight 015, a Boeing 747-200, undershot the runway during landing at Seoul-Gimpo Airport, South Korea, killing 14 occupants; 198 survived the accident. A Boeing 747-2B5B passenger jet, registered HL7445, was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Seoul-Gimpo (Kimpo) International Airport (SEL), South Korea. There were 198 passengers and crew members on board. The airplane operated on Korean Air Lines flight 015 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Seoul (SEL) with a refueling stop at Anchorage (ANC). There was a visibility of 1000 m in patchy fog as flight KE015 approached Kimpo Airport’s runway 14. The aircraft landed 90 metres short of the threshold and contacted a 45 deg embankment slope. The main landing gear was pushed backward and up causing a rupture in the bottom of the plane into the cargo compartment where struts were ruptured. The plane slid down the runway on its nose gear and belly. The wings were intact. No fuel tanks were ruptured. Fire erupted in the cargo compartment area from sparks and hydraulic fluid from the ruptured struts. There was no fuel fire. The plane quickly filled with smoke. The fire entered and impinged on the seats from floor grills. Fire gutted the fuselage quickly. Evacuation was fairly orderly. There were some injuries getting off the plane. The smoke got heavy fairly rapidly. Some survivors suffered smoke inhalation. Of the 18 crew and 208 passengers aboard, 6 crew and 9 passengers suffered fatal fire injuries. Four passengers were seriously injured.

Source of Information

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=725http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=725

Primary Cause

Landing accident due to runway excursion and impact with a slope.Landing accident due to runway excursion and impact with a slope.

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