Air China Flight 129
| Air China Flight 129 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Accident summary | |
| Accident type | Controlled flight into terrain after pilot error |
| place | Mount Dotdae, Busan , South Korea |
| date | April 15, 2002 |
| Fatalities | 129 |
| Survivors | 37 |
| Injured | 37 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 767-200ER |
| operator | Air China |
| Departure airport | Beijing Airport |
| Destination airport | Gimhae International Airport , Busan, South Korea |
| Passengers | 156 |
| crew | 10 |
| Lists of aviation accidents | |
Air China Flight 129 , also CA129 or CCA129 , was a scheduled flight of Air China operated by the People's Republic of China . On April 15, 2002, the Boeing 767-200ER flew from Beijing Airport to Gimhae International Airport in Busan in South Korea . During the flight, the machine hit a mountain near Busan, killing 129 of the 166 occupants. Flight 129 was Air China's first aircraft accident and the most casualty accident in South Korea. In addition, after EgyptAir flight 990 and Lauda Air flight 004, it was the accident with the third largest number of Boeing 767 victims and the fifth largest number of victims including the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 .
course
The Boeing 767 took off from Beijing at 08:37 a.m. local time (00:37 UTC ). After almost two hours, Flight 129 reached the area around Gimhae Airport in light rain and fog as well as strong winds from the south. At 11:16 a.m. local time (02:16 UTC), CA129 received clearance to use the ILS system on runway 36L. Then the runway 18R should be flown around and the landing should be carried out from the opposite side. After passing the runway, the final 180-degree turn was delayed. The machine then crashed into a mountain at 11:21 local time (02:21 UTC). After the right wing hit a tree, the machine hit the ground and the forces generated during the impact caused the aircraft to break apart. The machine lost both wings, the tail unit and both engines . The cockpit and the front part of the fuselage caught fire and were completely destroyed. 37 of the inmates, including the captain, survived. The fire that started after the crash was so hot that the aluminum of the hull melted.
plane
The Boeing 767-200ER, registered in China as B-2552, was delivered in 1985 and had Boeing serial number 23308. It was previously operated by CAAC and handed over to Air China when CAAC broke up. The machine had completed more than 40,000 flight hours on around 14,500 flights.
causes
The Korean Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority concluded in its March 2005 investigation report that the main cause of the crash was pilot error. According to the investigation report, the pilots flew below the minimum safety altitude and also at an impermissibly high speed. It was also found that the crew did not abort the approach even though the runway was no longer in sight. At the time, the pilots had trained to avoid the runway at Beijing Airport once in the flight simulator, but not to fly around the runway 18R at Gimhae Airport. The pilots were accused of not using the BRITE ( Bright Radar Indicator Tower Equipment ) or the MSAW ( Minimum Safe Altitude Warning ) after losing sight of the aircraft.
Other results of the investigation
Weather
Winds at Gimhae Airport generally come from the north during autumn and winter, and from the south during summer. Due to the location of the southern part of the airport, visibility is often poor due to fog from the nearby sea. At the time of the crash, there was strong southerly wind with rain and low clouds. The mountainous area north of Gimhae was foggy. Satellite imagery showed that a large and wide area of rain clouds were moving east between Busan and Japan.
Lighting
When questioned, the captain stated that he saw the landing lights during the approach to runway 36L. On the counter approach, however, he was no longer able to see her. According to the automatic light switching system and the statement by the head of the tower in Gimhae, the lights were on.
media
- A fatal flight (Original title: Turning Point) Mayday - Alarm im Cockpit Season 17, episode 3.
Web links
proof
- ↑ a b CA129 Final Report. KAIB - Korean Aviation-Accident Investigation Board, April 15, 2002, accessed April 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Air China 767 statement. The Boeing Company , April 14, 2002, accessed April 22, 2018 .