Korean Air Flight 1533

HL7570, the Korean Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83, the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
Date	March 15, 1999 (1999-03-15)
Summary	Runway overrun caused by pilot error
Site	Pohang Airport, Pohang, South Korea
Aircraft
Aircraft type	McDonnell Douglas MD-83
Operator	Korean Air
Registration	HL7570
Flight origin	Gimpo International Airport, Seoul
Destination	Pohang Airport, Pohang
Passengers	150
Crew	6
Fatalities	0
Injuries	76
Survivors	156

Korean Air Flight 1533 was a domestic passenger flight from Gimpo International Airport to Pohang Airport. On March 15, 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 operating the flight overshot runway 10 during landing at Pohang Airport. All 156 people on board survived, but the aircraft was destroyed.

Accident

The aircraft, carrying 156 passengers and crew, departed Gimpo International Airport. During landing at Pohang Airport, the aircraft had to initiate a go-around due to rain and thick clouds.

During the second landing, the aircraft landed 1,500 feet (460 m) past the threshold of runway 10. For unknown reasons, the flight crew did not activate the thrust reversers until 27 seconds after touchdown, resulting in the aircraft being unable to stop in time. The aircraft overshot the runway, striking 10 antennas and a barbed wire fence in the process, and then crashed into an embankment, with the fuselage breaking into two pieces. There were no fatalities, but 76 passengers were injured. There were heavy winds at the time of the accident. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and was declared a hull loss, making the accident the 11th hull loss of an McDonnell Douglas MD-80.^[1]

Investigation

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation, and the Republic of Korea Navy both investigated the accident.^[2] The cause of the accident was determined to be pilot error due to the flight crew's delayed activation of the thrust reversers, the late touch down, and failing to initiate a second go-around.^[3]