South Korea | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

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.

Crash of a Lockheed RB-69A Neptune in Gunsan: 14 killed

Date & Time: Mar 20, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

Operator:

Registration:

54-4040

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Hsinchu - Gunsan

MSN:

726-7101

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on approach to Gunsan while on an ELINT (electronic surveillance) mission from Hsinchu, killing all 14 occupants.

Crash of a Martin P5M-2 Marlin on Jeju Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1959

Type of aircraft:

Martin P5M-2 Marlin

Operator:

Registration:

135535

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a maritime patrol flight over the China Sea. While cruising over the Jeju Island, the seaplane struck the slope of Mt Hallasan. The aircraft was totally destroyed upon impact and all ten crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-124A-DL Globemaster II in Seoul: 22 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1957 at 1956 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

Operator:

Registration:

51-0141

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Seoul – Tachikawa

MSN:

43475

YOM:

1951

Flight number:

MATS503

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

149

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7352

Captain / Total hours on type:

6680.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2384

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from runway 32 at Seoul-Gimpo Airport, while in initial climb, a propeller blade on the engine number three detached, struck the fuselage and penetrated the cabin, killing four passengers instantly. Doing so, the ailerons and rudder cables were cut. Before the crew would be able to shot down the engine number three and to feather its propeller, both other blades detached and struck the engine number four. The crew contacted ATC and received the permission for an emergency landing on runway 14. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a canal located near the Han River, about 15 km north of the airport. 24 people were injured while 113 other were unhurt. Unfortunately, 22 occupants were killed, among them three crew member of which both pilots.
Those killed were:
Sp2 Francisco Aguilar,
Sp3 Eugene T. Arold,
2nd Lt Bruce E. Barstow,
Maj Ansel L. Boiter, pilot,
1st Lt Frederick L. Boudreau,
Pfc Stephen A. Bowcock,
Pfc Caldwell Brown Jr.,
Pfc Merle J. Brown,
Pfc J. L. Collaro-Gonzalez,
2nd Lt Edwin Harold Glass,
Pfc George A. Hills,
Gerald Junkroski,
Sp3 Avery L. Meeker,
Sgt Ralph Edward Myers,
Cpt Robert L. North, copilot,
Cpt Andrew L. Opiela,
Sfc Lewis P. Partin,
1st Lt Jack G. Stone,
Pfc Jan Martin Wallis,
1st Lt Paul B. Warner,
M/Sgt Joe Neal White,
Sfc Harry E. Witherell.

Probable cause:

Loss of a propeller blade on engine number three during initial climb.

Crash of a De Havilland L-20A Beaver near Gunsan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1955 at 1130 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Gunsan - Seoul

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine aircraft was performing a flight from Gunsan to Seoul-Gimpo, carrying one pilot and three Polish observers who should conduct a check of the 38th parallel on behalf of the United Nations Organization. Enroute, the pilot encountered heavy snow falls and lost control of the airplane that crashed 50 km north of Gunsan. All four occupants were killed.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119C-22-FA Flying Boxcar in Daegu: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Operator:

Registration:

51-2552

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

10510

YOM:

1950

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Daegu Airport, while climbing, the aircraft suffered an engine failure, stalled and crashed in a field located 2,7 km east of the airfield. At least one crew member was killed in the crash.

Probable cause:

Engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a De Havilland L-20A Beaver in Polgyo-Ri

Date & Time: May 8, 1954

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Registration:

51-16486

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

242

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Enroute, weather conditions worsened and the pilot decided to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane was damaged beyond repair while the pilot was uninjured.