South Korea | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

After takeoff from Seongnam AFB, while climbing in haevy rain falls, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a mountains area located 15 km from the airport. All 53 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123J Provider on Mt Hallasan: 53 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1982 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-123 Provider

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Seoul - Jeju

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Jeju Airport on a flight from Seoul, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. In limited visibility, the airplane struck the north face of Mt Hallasan, about 13 km south of the airport. The wreckage was found in a wooded canyon and all 53 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Boeing 747-2B5B in Seoul: 14 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1980 at 0725 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 747-200

Operator:

Registration:

HL7445

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Los Angeles – Anchorage – Seoul

MSN:

21773

YOM:

1979

Flight number:

KE015

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

213

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

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.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who continued the approach below the glide without any visual contact with the ground until the airplane struck the ground short of runway.

Crash of a Grumman S-2E Tracker in Gimhae: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1977

Type of aircraft:

Grumman S-2 Tracker

Operator:

Registration:

149868

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Gimhae - Gimhae

MSN:

143

YOM:

1957

Location:

Gimhae

South Gyeongsang (경상남도)

Country:

South Korea

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a training flight at Gimhae Airport. On final approach, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed few hundred meters short of runway. All three crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control on final approach following an engine failure for undetermined reasons.

Crash of a Grumman S-2 Tracker near Gimhae: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1976

Type of aircraft:

Grumman S-2 Tracker

Operator:

Registration:

133256

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

227

YOM:

1957

Location:

Gimhae

South Gyeongsang (경상남도)

Country:

South Korea

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Struck a mountain near Gimhae while completing a training mission in poor weather conditions. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 Commando in South Korea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing a night training mission when the airplane went out of control and crashed on the slope of a mountain located in the south part of South Korea. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The loss of control was the consequence of an engine failure.

Crash of a Beechcraft U-21A Ute in South Korea

Date & Time: Feb 10, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft U-21 Ute

Operator:

Registration:

67-18095

Flight Type:

Military

MSN:

LM-91

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere in South Korea. Crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 500 near Sokcho: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F27 Friendship

Operator:

Registration:

HL5212

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Gangneung - Seoul

MSN:

10428

YOM:

1969

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2302

Aircraft flight cycles:

3171

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Gangneung to Seoul, a man came into the cockpit and hijacked the airplane, asking the crew to divert to North Korea. Approaching the border, the crew reduced his altitude in an attempt to land on a beach when the hijacker unpin a grenade that exploded in the cockpit. The hijacker and the copilot were killed. Injured, the captain elected to land on a beach when the aircraft crash landed and came to rest. 16 occupants were injured and 42 others were inhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Hijacked and crashed.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 Commando in Seoul: 59 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1967 at 1100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Seoul - Daegu

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Yeouido AFB in Seoul, while climbing to Daegu in poor weather conditions, the captain informed ATC about the failure of the left engine and elected to return for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion in the district of Kum Ho-Dong. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and several houses and buildings were destroyed. All 15 occupants were killed as well as 44 people on the ground. 120 other people were injured, 23 of them seriously. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor with fog and drizzle.

Probable cause:

Failure (fire) of the left engine during initial climb for unknown reasons.

Crash of De Havilland U-6A Beaver on Mt Pangdae-san: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1963

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Kangson - Pyeongtaek

Location:

Mt Pangdae-san (Bangtaesan)

Gangwon (강원도)

Country:

South Korea

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Kangson to Pyeongtaek, the single engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Pangdae-san (Bangtaesan) (elevation 1,444 meters) located in the Inje Disctrict, Gangwon province. All six occupants were killed.