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Korean Air incidents and accidents

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Korean Air
Company typePublic
IndustryAviation
Founded1969
Headquarters
Seoul
,
South Korea
ProductsPassenger and cargo air transport


Korean Air has operated since 1969, and this article focuses on aviation incidents and accidents involving the airline along with its predecessor entities Korean National Airlines and Korean Air Lines.

During the late 1990s, Korean Air was widely regarded as "an industry pariah, infamous for fatal crashes" due to its notably poor safety record, ranking among the world's most hazardous airlines.[1][2][3][4] In 1999, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung publicly criticized the airline’s safety performance as "an embarrassment to the nation" and opted to fly with Korean Air's smaller competitor, Asiana, on a trip to the United States.[5]

Between 1970 and 1999, numerous fatal accidents occurred. Since 1970, a total of 17 Korean Air planes were lost due to serious incidents, resulting in approximately 700 fatalities. Two aircraft operated by Korean Air were downed by Soviet forces: one was Korean Air Lines Flight 902 and the other Korean Air Lines Flight 007. The deadliest tragedy for Korean Air was Flight 007, shot down by the Soviet Union on September 1, 1983, claiming all 269 lives on board, including U.S. Congressman Larry McDonald. The most recent fatal passenger accident was the crash of Korean Air Flight 801 in 1997, which caused 229 deaths. The last fatalities among crew members occurred during the Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 crash in December 1999.[6]

Reportedly, safety conditions have improved following focused initiatives during the 1990s aimed at elevating standards, which included engaging external experts from Boeing and Delta Air Lines.[7][8] In 2001, South Korea's air-safety rating was elevated by the Federal Aviation Administration, and in 2005 Korean Air successfully passed an audit conducted by the International Air Transport Association.[9] Following the crash of Flight 8509 in 1999, it took over two decades before another Korean Air aircraft experienced a landing accident resulting in a write-off; this occurred when Korean Air Flight 631 overran the runway at Mactan–Cebu International Airport in October 2022.[10][11]

In interviews conducted by CNBC in 2013, several scholars suggested that aspects of Korea’s hierarchical and linear social structure may have contributed to challenges within the airline’s safety culture.[12]

1960s

  • 11 December 1969 – During a domestic flight from Gangneung to Seoul, a NAMC YS-11-125 operated by Korean Air Lines was hijacked and diverted to Pyongyang, North Korea. Upon arrival, the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair and was subsequently written off. While several passengers and crew members were repatriated to South Korea, eleven individuals remained detained in North Korea.

1970s

  • 23 January 1971 – A Korean Air Lines domestic passenger flight, utilizing a Fokker F27 Friendship 500 (registration HL5212) en route from Sokcho to Seoul, was seized mid-flight by an armed hijacker carrying hand grenades over Hongcheon County in Gangwon Province. A security officer engaged the hijacker, who detonated the grenade as he fell; a co-pilot shielded others by absorbing the blast, resulting in severe injuries that led to his death from blood loss. The aircraft crash-landed on an uninhabited beach in Goseong County, Gangwon, South Korea, and was declared a total loss. This event inspired the 2024 film Hijack 1971 directed by Kim Seong-han.
  • 2 August 1976 – Cargo Flight 642, operated by a Boeing 707, departed Tehran bound for Seoul but deviated inexplicably from its Standard Instrument Departure (SID) after takeoff from runway 29. Instead of turning left as prescribed, it veered right and collided with mountainous terrain at approximately 6,630 feet (2.02 km; 1.26 mi) altitude. All five crew members aboard perished in the accident.
  • 20 April 1978 – Korean Air Lines Flight 902, a Boeing 707 traveling from Paris to Anchorage, strayed about 780 km (480 mi) near the North Pole. After Canadian authorities warned the crew of their off-course position, an attempted course correction inadvertently directed the aircraft over the Barents Sea and into Soviet airspace. Soviet radar initially misidentified the plane as a Boeing 747, prompting deployment of two Sukhoi Su-15TM interceptors. Despite the Korean captain’s efforts to signal compliance by reducing speed and activating landing lights, orders were given to engage the aircraft. According to U.S. intelligence reports, one Soviet pilot unsuccessfully sought to abort the attack before two R-60 missiles were fired; while the first missed, the second struck and severely damaged the left wing and fuselage, causing rapid decompression that resulted in two passenger fatalities. The pilot conducted an emergency descent to 5,000 feet (1.5 km; 0.95 mi) and entered cloud cover, losing visual contact with the interceptors. The damaged plane proceeded at low altitude across the Kola Peninsula, attempting multiple landing attempts before ultimately touching down on Korpijärvi lake’s ice near Kem, Russia. Soviet helicopters rescued all survivors aboard.

1980s

  • On 19 November 1980, Korean Air Lines Flight 015, a Boeing 747 departing from Anchorage en route to Seoul, collided with a retaining embankment located at the airport's perimeter. The aircraft rebounded onto runway 14, disintegrated, and ignited. This accident resulted in 14 fatalities on board and one casualty on the ground.[13]
  • On 15 September 1981, a Boeing 747 operating as Flight 903 [ko], originating from Seoul, South Korea and destined for Zürich, Switzerland, veered off the runway during an aborted takeoff at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The aircraft breached the airport boundary fence, causing its nose to obstruct the service road alongside the South Luzon Expressway. Out of the 352 individuals aboard, 40 sustained injuries.[14][15]
  • On 1 September 1983, Korean Air Lines Flight 007, a Boeing 747-230B flying from New York City to Seoul with a stopover in Anchorage, deviated from its authorized route after departing Anchorage at 13:00 UTC. Instead of following the Bethel VOR beacon and then the Romeo 20 airway, the flight path shifted approximately 12 miles north of Bethel. As it neared the Kamchatka peninsula, six Soviet MiG-23 fighters were scrambled amid suspicions triggered by the presence of a nearby U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft. After exiting Soviet airspace over the Sea of Okhotsk, the fighters returned to base. However, four hours post-departure and about 185 mi (298 km) off course near Sakhalin, two Su-15 'Flagon' interceptors were dispatched again. At 18:22 UTC, Soviet command issued a second order to neutralize the target. One fighter fired two air-to-air missiles; one struck the Boeing at 18:26 UTC, causing decompression and loss of control that led to a fatal descent into waters close to Moneron Island. The incident was condemned by the US government as a "deliberate and wanton act of murder by an evil empire." Subsequently, black box data was handed over by Boris Yeltsin to the FAA. All passengers and crew perished.[16]
  • On 23 December 1983, Cargo Flight 084, operated by a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 from Anchorage to Los Angeles, became involved in an accident during taxiing in foggy conditions. The Korean crew mistakenly navigated onto an incorrect runway. While accelerating for takeoff, the DC-10 collided head-on with South Central Air Flight 59, a Piper PA-31 Navajo departing from runway 6L-24R bound for Kenai. The nine occupants of the smaller aircraft suffered injuries. The DC-10 overshot its runway by approximately 1,434 feet and stopped about 40 feet right of the extended centerline. Federal investigation attributed pilot disorientation due to failure in following standard taxi procedures and neglecting compass verification. Although the DC-10 was damaged beyond repair, there were no fatalities.[17]
  • On 18 May 1985, a hijacking occurred aboard a domestic flight operated by a Boeing 727 traveling from Seoul to Jeju. A lone hijacker demanded diversion to North Korea. After being subdued by crew members, the aircraft was redirected to Gwangju, where authorities apprehended the perpetrator.[18]
  • On 29 November 1987, Korean Air Flight 858, utilizing a Boeing 707-3B5C, was en route from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok when it exploded approximately 122 km (76 mi) northwest of Tavoy over the Andaman Sea near Burma. The blast caused complete disintegration of the aircraft and resulted in total loss of all 115 passengers and crew aboard. Investigations confirmed that a bomb triggered the catastrophe. Two operatives disguised as passengers had disembarked at Abu Dhabi but left behind concealed explosives inside a radio and liquor bottle stowed in an overhead compartment at row seven. South Korea accused Kim Jong Il of orchestrating this attack; although direct proof remains absent, North Korean agent Kim Hyon Hui admitted planting the bomb under his orders.[19]
  • On 27 July 1989, Korean Air Flight 803, operated by a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 originating in Seoul with stops in Bangkok and Jeddah before heading to Tripoli, Libya, crashed short of runway 27 amid deteriorating visibility between 800 and 1000 feet. The instrument landing system for that runway had been reported out of service. The aircraft impacted four houses and several vehicles upon descent. There were seventy-five fatalities among those onboard and four casualties on the ground; however, another one hundred twenty-four survived both impact and subsequent fire.[20]
  • On 25 November 1989, Korean Air Flight 175, operating as a scheduled service between Seoul and Ulsan aboard a Fokker F-28 Fellowship 4000, experienced an engine failure during takeoff when its number one engine lost power. The pilots attempted to abort but could not halt before overrunning the runway; the aircraft caught fire afterward. Several occupants sustained injuries but there were no fatalities. Investigation attributed wing icing caused by inadequate pre-flight preparation as the root cause. The airplane was declared beyond repair.[21]

1990s

  • 13 June 1991 – Flight 376, a Boeing 727 (HL7350) operating domestically from Jeju to Daegu, executed an unplanned gear-up landing at Daegu. The flight crew neglected to perform the landing checklist readout and consequently did not extend the landing gear. Investigations uncovered that the captain instructed the first officer to disable the fuse for the warning system because the persistent alerts about the gear not being down were considered "annoying and distracting." With the warning horn silenced, the aircraft landed on its belly, sliding along the runway’s central structural rib. Although no serious injuries occurred, the plane was declared a total loss.[22] Authorities sought arrest warrants for the captain and first officer; however, controversy arose when prosecutors declined physical detention and proceeded with investigation without arrest. Later, Judge Joo Ho-young, who became a National Assembly member, ruled in January of the following year that the defendants bore "severe criminal liability" for neglecting fundamental aviation procedures and causing an accident that endangered 120 passengers. Captain Lee In-sung received a ten-month prison sentence, while First Officer Kim Sung-joong and Flight Engineer Park Il-sung were sentenced to eight months and taken into custody in court.[23] The gear-up landing severely damaged the lower fuselage, rendering the aircraft unusable. On July 27, 1992, after dismantling the remains at Daegu Airport in August 1991, Korean Air donated the aircraft to Inha Technical University, part of the Hanjin Group, for practical training purposes.[24][25]
  • 10 August 1994 – Flight 2033, operated by an Airbus A300, flew from Seoul to Jeju. During approach, it approached at a higher speed than usual to avoid potential windshear. At approximately fifty feet above ground level, the non-flying co-pilot judged there was insufficient runway remaining for a safe landing and initiated a go-around against the captain’s instruction.[26] The aircraft touched down approximately 1,773 metres (1.1 mi) beyond the threshold but could not stop within the remaining 1,227 metres (0.76 mi) of runway. It overran at a speed of 104 knots, collided with an airport wall and guard post at about 30 knots, and caught fire. Thanks to effective cabin crew evacuation efforts—despite only half of emergency exits being operational—all passengers escaped without fatalities. The aircraft was ultimately written off.
  • 22 September 1994 – Flight 916F from Zürich to Busan was operated by a Boeing 747 which had suffered severe hail damage eight days earlier on 14 September over Elba, Italy. The hailstorm caused significant harm to its radome, cockpit windows, and engines; however, it managed to land safely in Zürich. After partial repairs there, it was ferried to Busan for further restoration. Boeing approved its release with revised takeoff performance parameters including a maximum gross weight limited to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) and increased V1, V2, and VR speeds by 15, 17, and 14 knots respectively. During takeoff from Runway 14 with ZUE 5P departure clearance, after an extended roll, liftoff occurred near runway end with slow climb rate. At around 900 meters beyond threshold, it narrowly cleared nearby structures by less than fifty meters. Investigations revealed that despite clear instructions to reduce weight, crews overloaded the plane by approximately 86,700 pounds (39,300 kg).[27]
  • 6 August 1997 – Korean Air Flight 801, operated by a Boeing 747-3B5, was en route from Seoul to Agana, Guam. During a nighttime approach to Guam’s runway 06L, the aircraft descended approximately 800 feet below minimum safe altitude and impacted Nimitz Hill at about 650 feet elevation. The crash occurred in a jungle valley where the aircraft broke apart and caught fire. There were 228 fatalities among those onboard. Investigators determined that inadequate briefing and execution of the non-precision approach by the captain along with insufficient monitoring by both first officer and flight engineer caused this accident. Contributing factors included pilot fatigue and insufficient flight crew training at Korean Air. This incident remains the sole fatal accident involving a Boeing 747-300.[28]
  • 5 August 1998 – Flight 8702, using a Boeing 747-400 on a short haul from Tokyo to Seoul, departed Tokyo at 16:50 with scheduled arrival at Seoul at 19:20. Due to poor weather conditions in Seoul, the crew diverted to Jeju City. After departing Jeju at 21:07 for Seoul again, upon landing in Seoul the aircraft experienced multiple bounces and veered approximately one hundred meters off runway before halting in grassy terrain. No fatalities occurred though some passengers sustained injuries; however, damage led to write-off of this aircraft.[29]
  • 15 March 1999 – Flight 1533 operated by a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 flew from Seoul to Pohang under adverse weather conditions characterized by poor visibility and gusts reaching twenty-five knots. The initial landing attempt failed; on a second approach touchdown was achieved but resulted in runway overrun. The aircraft traversed ten antennas and breached a reinforced barbed wire fence before coming to rest against an embankment. The impact caused fuselage breakage into two sections.[30] As of October 3, 2023 this route is no longer served by Korean Air but has been transferred to Jin Air.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
  • 15 April 1999 – Cargo Flight 6316 operated by a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 departed Shanghai for Seoul but crashed roughly 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport shortly after takeoff. The investigation found that miscommunication between pilots and air traffic control arose due to confusion between metric units (meters) used by ATC and imperial units (feet) assumed by pilots. The co-pilot repeatedly misunderstood altitude instructions; when told to climb to an altitude of approximately fifteen hundred feet (actually meters), he confirmed incorrectly twice leading captain to believe they were too high by three thousand feet. In response, the captain pushed forward abruptly on controls initiating an uncontrolled descent which they could not recover from before impact into migrant worker housing causing explosion. All three crew members aboard plus five individuals on ground died; thirty-seven others on ground sustained injuries.[31]
  • 22 December 1999 – Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 operated a Boeing 747-2B5F from London Stansted Airport bound for Milan Malpensa Airport. Shortly after takeoff from Stansted, the aircraft banked sharply left and crashed into terrain. Investigations revealed that a faulty Attitude Director Indicator (ADI) due to improper maintenance performed at London Stansted led to pilot disorientation during climb-out. Despite warnings signaled during ascent monitored by flight engineer, pilots failed to correct excessive left bank reaching nearly ninety degrees with no pitch correction applied throughout turn. Additionally, first officer either did not adequately monitor attitude or failed to alert captain about unsafe flight attitude development. Subsequent analysis suggested Korean Air had modified training programs reflecting cultural aspects unique to Korea which may have influenced crew responses negatively. All four crew members lost their lives in this accident.[32][33]

2010s

  • 5 December 2014 – A notable case of air rage unfolded on Flight 086 shortly before it was scheduled to depart from John F. Kennedy International Airport en route to Incheon International Airport. This event took place aboard an Airbus A380-800 and later became widely known as the Nut rage incident. The conflict originated when Korean Air's vice president, Heather Cho (Cho Hyun-ah), expressed dissatisfaction with how nuts, served as a first-class snack, were presented. She anticipated the nuts to be offered on a plate; however, they were delivered still sealed in their original packaging. This disagreement escalated into a confrontation with the chief flight attendant, culminating in Cho physically assaulting the crew member and instructing him to leave the aircraft, which caused a 20-minute delay.[34][35]
  • 27 May 2016 – While accelerating for takeoff at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport), a Boeing 777-300 designated as Korean Air Flight 2708 experienced an engine fire. The takeoff was immediately aborted, and all 17 crew members along with 302 passengers were safely evacuated. Fire crews extinguished the blaze within approximately one hour. During evacuation, twelve individuals sustained minor injuries. The aircraft underwent repairs and was subsequently returned to operational status.[36][37][38]
  • 29 June 2018 – During landing on runway 16L at Narita Airport, Korean Air Flight 703, operating a Boeing 777-300, suffered a fracture of the rear right landing gear axle. None of the 335 passengers and crew onboard were injured. Due to this incident, runway 16L was temporarily closed for about twenty minutes to facilitate debris removal. The aircraft incurred only minor damage.[39][40]

2020s

  • On 28 September 2022, Flight 908, operating a Boeing 777-300ER, made contact with the tail of Icelandair Flight 454, a Boeing 757-200, while both were on the ground at London Heathrow Airport. Emergency services were dispatched following the incident; however, no casualties or injuries were reported among passengers or crew on either plane. Both aircraft underwent repairs after the event.
  1. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ↑ Refer to Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers (2008), pp. 177–223 for an analysis of this transformation in airline safety. Gladwell notes (p. 180) that the airline's hull-loss rate was 4.79 per million departures, which was 17 times higher than that of United Airlines, whose rate stood at 0.27 per million departures during the same period.
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-2B5B HL7445 Seoul-Gimpo (Kimpo) International Airport (SEL)." Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 4 November 2012.
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ↑ Aviation Safety Network, Criminal occurrence description: KAL Boeing 747-230B, Accessed 12 December 2012
  17. ↑ Aviation-Safety.net: Cargo Flight 084
  18. ↑ Boeing 727-281 registration unknown Gwangju (Kwangju) Airport
  19. ↑ Template:ASN accident
  20. ↑ Aviation Safety Network, Accident description: Korean Air Flight 803, Accessed 12 December 2012
  21. ↑ Template:ASN accident
  22. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  23. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  24. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  25. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  26. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  27. ↑ Aviation Safety Network, Incident description: Korean Air Flight 916F , Accessed 12 December 2012
  28. ↑ "Official Guam Crash Site Center – Korean Air Flt 801," Government of Guam
  29. ↑ Aviation Safety Network, Accident description: Korean Air Flight 8702, Accessed 12 December 2012
  30. ↑ Aviation Safety Network, Accident description: Korean Air Flight 1533, Accessed 12 December 2012
  31. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  32. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  33. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  34. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  35. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  36. ↑ 19 injured as Boeing 777 engine catches fire in Tokyo, plane evacuated KOMO
  37. ↑ Hundreds Evacuate Korean Air Jet After Engine Catches Fire ABC News
  38. ↑ Korean Air evacuates plane at Japan's Haneda Airport after engine fire Reuters
  39. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  40. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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