Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316 (KE6316/KAL6316) was a scheduled Korean Air Cargo freight flight from Shanghai to Seoul. On 15 April 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F operating the route, registered as HL7373, crashed in Xinzhuang, Shanghai shortly after taking off from Hongqiao Airport, killing all 3 crew on board, along with 5 on the ground.
HL7373, the aircraft involved in the accident, pictured in 1997 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 15 April 1999 |
| Summary | Crashed during climb following loss of control due to confusion between metric and imperial measures |
| Site |
|
| Total fatalities | 8 |
| Total injuries | 42 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas MD-11F |
| Operator | Korean Air Cargo |
| IATA flight No. | KE6316 |
| ICAO flight No. | KAL6316 |
| Call sign | KOREAN AIR 6316 |
| Registration | HL7373 |
| Flight origin | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai, China |
| Destination | Gimpo International Airport, Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupants | 3 |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 3 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 5 |
| Ground injuries | 42 |
Accident
Loaded with 86 tons of cargo, the MD-11F operating Flight 6316 took off from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport at around 4:00 pm. The flight crew consisted of Captain Hong Sung-sil (Korean: 홍성실; Hanja: 洪性實) (54), First Officer Park Bon-suk (박본석; 朴本錫) (35), and flight engineer Park Byong-ki (박병기; 朴炳基) (48). After taking off, the MD-11F received clearance to climb to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) after the first officer contacted Shanghai Departure.
As the aircraft climbed to 4,500 feet (1,400 m), the first officer told the captain that the required altitude should be 1,500 feet (460 m), thinking that the aircraft was 3,000 feet (910 m) too high. The captain pushed the control column abruptly forward, causing the aircraft to descend at over 34,000 feet per minute (10,000 m/min). At 4:04 pm, the aircraft became uncontrollable due to the steep dive and eventually crashed into an industrial zone in Xinzhuang, which is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi; 5.4 nmi) southwest of Hongqiao Airport. The aircraft impacted the ground and exploded. Along with the 3 South Korean crew on board, 2 pupils and 3 migrant workers on the ground also perished. The crash was recorded by the nearby Shanghai Earthquake Administration which indicated that the impact forces had generated an equivalent of a 1.6 magnitude earthquake.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter with the registration HL7373 and serial number 48409, powered by three Pratt & Whitney PW4460 engines. Built-in February 1992, this aircraft was delivered to Korean Air on March 24, 1992, as a passenger aircraft. In 1996, the aircraft was converted to a freighter.[citation needed]
Investigation
On April 27, 1999, the primary investigation revealed no evidence of an explosion or mechanical failure before the impact. In June 2001, further investigation carried out by CAAC showed that the first officer had confused 1,500 metres (4,900 ft), the required altitude, with 1,500 feet (460 m), prompting the captain to make the wrong decision to descend. The captain's response was an abrupt overreaction on the flight controls, resulting in a rapid descent which was unrecoverable.
In South Korea, all aviation altitudes are measured in feet in compliance with the ICAO convention. In Russia, China and parts of Central Asia, level flight above the transition altitude is accomplished at the assigned flight level with reference to, and clearances given in, feet (eg. FL330). However, altitudes below the transition level are assigned in metres. Aircraft can fly at the assigned altitude using an altimeter that indicates in metres or, if fitted with altimeters that read in feet, by conversion of the assigned altitude/level.
In Popular Culture
The crash is set to feature in the 26th season of Canadian documentary series Mayday, titled "Mixed Measures"
See also
- Korean Air incidents and accidents
- National Airlines Flight 102 – also crashed shortly after takeoff.
- Air India Flight 855
- Avient Aviation Flight 324 – another air disaster occurred in Shanghai, also involving an MD-11F.
- Air China Flight 129 – occurred in Busan three years after the Shanghai crash.
- Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 – another Korean Air Cargo plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from London Stansted Airport eight months after the Shanghai crash.
- Air Canada Flight 143 – another aviation incident caused by the confusion between Metric and Imperial measurements
Footnotes
- The aircraft involved in this accident was initially delivered to Korean Air as HL7372, the sistership of HL7373. It crashed on November 28, 2009.
- The flight was from Beijing, China to Busan, Korea, flown by a Boeing 767-200ER registered B-2552 on April 15, 2002. 129 people were killed in that crash.
wikipedia, wiki, encyclopedia, book, library, article, read, free download, Information about Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316, What is Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316? What does Korean Air Cargo Flight 6316 mean?