GUAM — 1997 · Major Tragedy
The Korean Air Flight 801 Disaster — Nimitz Hill
On the night of 6 August 1997 Korean Air Flight 801, a Boeing 747-300 from Seoul to Guam, struck Nimitz Hill, about 5 km south-west of the runway, while approaching Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in heavy rain. Of the 254 people on board, 228 were killed; 23 passengers and 3 flight attendants survived with serious injuries. The US National Transportation Safety Board cited the captain's faulty execution of the approach and poor communication among the flight crew as the probable cause; the descent continued despite terrain warnings. An out-of-service ground system and crew fatigue were also cited as factors. The crash became a key example in the spread of crew resource management training across airlines.
- Date
- 1997
- Place
- Nimitz Hill, Guam (US), Guam, GU
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 13.4520, 144.7360 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 6 August 1997The aircraft left Seoul and approached Guam at night.
- 6 August 1997It struck Nimitz Hill; 228 of 254 on board died.
- August 1997Rescuers pulled 26 injured survivors from the wreckage.
- 2000The NTSB cited the captain's flawed approach and crew communication as the probable cause.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Korean Air Flight 801 en.wikipedia.org ↗
- FAA Lessons Learned — Boeing 747-300 HL7468 faa.gov ↗
- Aviation Safety Network — Accident HL7468 aviation-safety.net ↗
- Wikipedia
- FAA
- Aviation Safety Network
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.