- On April 15, 1999, Korean Air flight 6316, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, HL7373, crashed in a residential area of Shanghai, China, about 6 minutes after takeoff.[1]The two pilots and one mechanic on board the airplane were killed. Additionally, at least 4 people on the ground were killed, and 37 others were injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. The accident is being investigated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China with participation by the Safety Board and the KCAB.
1.17.6 Oversight of Korean Air 1.17.6.1 Korean Civil Aviation Bureau
As previously stated, the KCAB, a division within the MOCT, is responsible for providing oversight of the Korean civil airlines. The Safety Board found that two KCAB operations inspectors were assigned to provide oversight of Korean Air's flight operations at the time of the accident. Neither of these inspectors were type rated in any of the airplanes operated by Korean Air. According to the KCAB, these two inspectors also had oversight duties at Asiana Airlines, another domestic air carrier.
The KCAB stated that, before the flight 801 accident, it performed an annual 7-day safety inspection, quarterly 7-day regional inspections, and random inspections an average of 40 times per year. The KCAB also said that it frequently relied on Korean Air to selfreport corrective actions taken in response to KCAB inspections.
During testimony at the Safety Board's public hearing, the Korean Air Director of Academic Flight Training stated that the KCAB approved all company aircraft operations manuals, training manuals, training programs, and flight operations procedures.[2] The official also stated that the KCAB provided direct oversight of Korean Air and its training curricula primarily during the annual safety inspection and two to three random operations inspections each year.
Korean Air's Director of Academic Flight Training also testified that the KCAB conducted almost all type-rating proficiency checks on the company's Fokker F.100 and McDonnell Douglas MD-82 airplanes. However, the official said that type-rating proficiency checks on the other airplanes in Korean Air's fleet, including the 747-200, -300, and -SP, were conducted by company check airmen designated by the KCAB.[3]
Korean Air's Director of Academic Flight Training could not recall any direct surveillance by the KCAB on 747 proficiency checks or training sessions. The Korean Air official indicated that, if company records indicated otherwise, he would forward such
- ↑ Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, and Air France suspended their code-sharing agreements with Korean Air after this accident.
- ↑ In addition, as stated in section 1.6, the KCAB was responsible for approving Korean Air's Continuous Maintenance Program.
- ↑ These designated check airmen were authorized by the KCAB to conduct proficiency checks and aircraft type rating checks. The KCAB conducted annual evaluations of the designated check airmen.
