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Korean plane overshoots runway in Niigata

21 Comments

A South Korean passenger jet overshot the landing strip at Niigata Airport on Monday night, but no one was hurt in the incident.

TBS reported Tuesday that Korean Air Lines Flight 763 could not come to a halt quickly enough on the runway when it landed at 8 p.m. It said the Boeing 737 came to rest with its front half in a grassy area and there were no injuries. The flight originated from Seoul's Incheon International Airport.

TBS says at least 19 flights into Niigata were canceled Tuesday morning while an investigation continues.

The incident is the second in a month involving a South Korean airline. On July 6, an Asiana Airlines flight crash-landed in San Francisco, killing three people and injuring dozens.

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21 Comments
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The incident is the second in a month involving a South Korean airline. On July 6, an Asiana Airlines flight crash-landed in San Francisco, killing three people and injuring dozens.

Have they been asked to stop flying to Japan until an explanation is uncovered?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

I'm driving from now on...

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

South Korea has a horrible track record with their airlines. They can build some bad-ass ships though.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

South Korea has a horrible track record with their airlines

Yes, they do, and it's strange because they seem to be very professional and organised. Maybe it as something to do with the proliferation of ex-military pilots that fly for them, and who overestimate their own abilities or confuse a jetliner's capabilities with a fighter jet's.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Korean pilots fly "by the book". If you pull them out of that book then you'll find very few Korean pilots that can actually 'fly' the plane. Korean pilots almost fly entirely on autopilot and are completely hopeless on manual visual approaches with or without a crosswind. Korean pilots assume that whatever they program into the plane to do it will do and they will not question it until it's too late when it's obvious that something's not working.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I have used Korean Air and liked their service but I have heard that many of their pilots are ex military. The problem is Korea is a Confucian country and younger pilots can't question the actions of their older superiors.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I have used Korean Air and liked their service but I have heard that many of their pilots are ex military.

I believe that military service for most males is mandatory in Korea, so I think that most if not all of the males pilots will be ex-military.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I thought the track record of Korean flights was supposed to be improved since the 90s, let's hope it's not on a downward spiral again. Time to review those training methods again?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@acctnut

I'm driving from now on...

You have a "James Bond" car... ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Korean pilots did undergo intensive CRM (Cockpit Resource Management) training in the early 90s after a succession of incidents, nicknamed Korean Cockpit Syndrome, and are supposed to be much better. Until the reason for the overshoot is known, we are only speculating on the cause.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

As mountainpear stated, strict hierarchy sometimes keeps younger pilots from speaking out when they see or suspect there is a problem. This may be a contributing factor in some of these incidents. No one was injured or killed so at least we can be thankful for that.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Not too sure what happened up in Niigata, do hope they have no accidents with Korean or any other planes.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Is this something to do with Boeing airplanes again?

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

You guys sure did a lot of research on the issue :-p Seems like you are just quoting what every English news article said about Korean pilots after the last crash.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

7/6, 8/6,...9/6? If things comes in threes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The landing strip was 2500 meters long. Normally planes are supposed to touch down at the 500 meter mark, but this plane touched down somewhere between the 1000 to 1500 meter mark. Literally stopped meters in front of the sea. Yikes.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Some people just love bashing Korea whenever there is an opportunity. The Reuters article recently stated Asiana Airline had a clean safety record for past 20 years until the San Francisco incident which was nothing less than tragic however the "All Time" worst record involving single plane is Japan Air Line flight 123 smashing into Mt Ogura killing 520 passangers in 1985. FYI: Airlines with worst safety record in past 20 years are American Airline, China Airline, Saudi, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Thai Airlines to name a few.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Depending on speed but this plane should be able to stop in under 1000m. but if reverse thrusters are not applied, it will take a minimum of 2965m. Also poor brakes will increase these figures. This is base on a dry runway.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@okyodoumo

You are correct and many seem to have forgotten this. One problem that arises is the senpai/kohai relationship in which a junior co-pilot notices an error that his "senior" made. Often they are afraid to bring it to their attention.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I saw on the news that the pilot made no announcement and did not apologize. As the pilot was trying to get into a taxi to head to his hotel, 2 korean passengers went up to him and started pushing him and shouting at him. The pilot didn't say anything. Too proud to apologize for his mistake?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

My son and I had a very similar incident flying from Seoul to Narita with KAL last November. The plane didn't actually go off the end of the runway, but just about did. The whole landing was absolutely terrifying. We slammed down so hard many of the oxygen masks fell. There was no apology or explanation from the cockpit, despite many passengers being badly traumatized. When we were walking to customs a Brit I was talking to jokingly said "well I guess they have to give the copilot a chance to land at some point". In light of the recent crash in San Francisco and this close call in Niigata, I no longer think the comment is particular funny. Like the crash in SF our "hard landing" occurred on a cloudless, sunny day. So it was clearly 100% pilot error. I for one will no longer fly with a Korean airliner. That decision has nothing to do with "Korea bashing" just a case of "strike 3, and your out".

2 ( +3 / -1 )

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