Korean Air Flight 801
Korean Air Flight 801 (KE801, KAL801) was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by Korean Air, from Gimpo International Airport, Seoul to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam. On August 6, 1997, the Boeing 747-300 operating the flight crashed on Bijia Peak, south of Nimitz Hill, in Asan-Maina, Guam, while on approach to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, in the United States territory of Guam, killing 229 of the 254 people aboard.
The aircraft crash site | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | August 6, 1997 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain at night due to pilot error, and navigational system error |
| Site | Bijia Peak, Asan-Maina, near Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam 13°27′19″N 144°43′58″E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 747-3B5 |
| Operator | Korean Air |
| IATA flight No. | KE801 |
| ICAO flight No. | KAL801 |
| Call sign | KOREAN AIR 801 |
| Registration | HL7468 |
| Flight origin | Gimpo International Airport, Seoul, South Korea |
| Destination | Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam |
| Occupants | 254 |
| Passengers | 235 |
| Crew | 19 |
| Fatalities | 229 |
| Injuries | 25 |
| Survivors | 25 |
The National Transportation Safety Board cites poor communication between the flight crew as the probable cause of this accident, along with the captain's poor decision-making on the non-precision approach. It remains the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States and its territories to have survivors, also the only fatal accident involving a Boeing 747-300 variant.