Asiana Airlines Flight 162
 HL7762, the aircraft involved | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 14 April 2015 |
| Summary | Impacted ground short of runway, under investigation |
| Site | Hiroshima Airport, Hiroshima, Japan |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A320-232 |
| Operator | Asiana Airlines |
| Registration | HL7762 |
| Flight origin | Incheon International Airport, South Korea |
| Destination | Hiroshima Airport, Japan |
| Passengers | 74 |
| Crew | 8 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 27 (1 serious) |
| Survivors | 82 (all) |
Asiana Airlines Flight 162 (OZ162/AAR162) was a regular short-haul international passenger flight from Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea, to Hiroshima Airport in Hiroshima, Japan.[1] On 14 April 2015, the Airbus A320-232 aircraft, registration HL7762, operating the flight was accidentally flown into the ground during final approach and impacted the ILS-LOC antenna before it skidded onto the runway on its tail, spinning 120 degrees before finally coming to a rest. The aircraft suffered substantial damage, the left engine was damaged, main landing gear collapsed and the left wing fractured. Of the 82 people aboard, 27 (25 passengers and two crew) were injured, one seriously.[2][3][4]
Aircraft
The aircraft involved, an Airbus A320-200[5] registration HL7762, was delivered new to Asiana Airlines on 12 October 2007. The aircraft was written off as a result of the incident.[6][7]
Incident
The transport ministry’s Osaka Regional Civil Aviation Bureau stated that the crew tried to land the aircraft in darkness and inclement weather without access to an instrument landing system. At this airport, aircraft normally approach from the west because the instrument landing system is installed only at the eastern end of the runway. On this occasion, the pilot was instructed by an air traffic controller to approach from the east due to the wind direction. Bureau officials were reported to have stated that the pilot attempted to land in poor weather with low visibility while using such aids as the lighting near the centre-line of the runway that indicates glide angles (normally used in good weather conditions). [8][9]
Investigation
The Japanese Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the accident.[10] Hiroshima Prefecture Prefectural police also launched an investigation on April 15.[8] South Korean investigators and airline officials traveled to Japan to join the investigation on April 15.[9]
On April 16, investigators began debriefing the captain and first officer. One investigator from the Japan Transport Safety Board stated that a downdraft during approach may have contributed to the inadequate altitude at the runway threshold.[11] However the METAR (weather conditions) for the time did not indicate any unusual weather or wind shear. The weather was low overcast with almost no wind.[10]
Recovered flight data shows that the aircraft began a slow and controlled descent below the normal glide slope approach path about 4km prior to impact.[10] It struck the localizer 325 metres (355 yd) before the runway threshold in a nose-high attitude 148 metres (162 yd) short of the runway, with the main gear making contact with the ground 12 metres (39 ft) further on. After exiting the runway, the aircraft rotated until it came to rest facing the direction it had landed from.[12]
See also
- Asiana Airlines Flight 214
- Lion Air Flight 904
- Accidents and incidents involving the Airbus A320 family
- Runway safety
References
- ^ Harro Ranter (14 April 2015). "ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A320-232 HL7762 Hiroshima International Airport (HIJ)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "The Aviation Herald". avherald.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Asiana Airlines Plane Skids Off Runway In Japan". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ AFP (15 April 2015). "Asiana plane skids off runway in Japan, leaving 20 injured". The Daily Telegraph (online edition). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Airbus A320-232 HL7762 Hiroshima International Airport (HIJ)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
- ^ "Asiana Airlines HL7762 (Airbus A320)". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ "HL7762 Asiana Airlines Airbus A320-200 – cn 3244". planespotters.net. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ a b "Police investigate airliner accident in Hiroshima on suspicion of pilot error". Asahi Shimbun. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ a b Obe, Mitsuru; Nam, In-Soo (15 April 2015). "Japan, South Korea Probe Asiana Plane's Skid off Runway in Hiroshima". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ a b c "The Aviation Herald". avherald.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Downdraft may be factor in Asiana jet's botched landing at Hiroshima". Japan Times. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
- ^ Kaminski-Morrow, David (13 May 2015). "Crashed Asiana A320 drifted below glidepath in low visibility". Flight Global. Retrieved 17 May 2015.