"Kimhae Airport Still Dangerous" ... Memorial Monument Erected for Dottaesan Aircraft Accident

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Woo-kwon] Gimhae City, Gyeongnam announced on the 13th that it spent 35 million won to refurbish the unrecovered wreckage and erected a memorial monument, stone tower, and information board at the crash site to never forget the pain of the Dotaesan aircraft crash accident. At the Samgye-dong Civil Defense Disaster Safety Experience Center, an exhibition hall was created with the collected aircraft wreckage, accident details, and photos so that education on aircraft accidents can also be provided during civil defense training and disaster safety experiences.

The Dotaesan aircraft crash accident occurred on April 15, 2002, when a China International Airlines Boeing 767 carrying 166 passengers and crew departed from Beijing International Airport and was attempting to land at Gimhae Airport. Due to bad weather, it crashed into Dotaesan (around San 22, Jinae-dong), resulting in 129 deaths (110 Koreans and 19 Chinese) and 37 injuries, making it the worst domestic aviation accident.

The city stated, "The Gimhae New Airport, which is an expansion of Gimhae Airport where the risk of accidents constantly exists due to geographical conditions, is being promoted without any significant improvements. To raise awareness, we refurbished the accident site, erected a memorial monument, and installed an exhibition hall," adding, "Improving the existing airport is more urgent than constructing a new airport."

The city's position is that unless safety measures such as extending the runway southward in an 11-shaped layout parallel to the current runway to avoid the influence of the northern mountainous area of Gimhae Airport are established, painful history will inevitably repeat itself.

The National Verification Team and the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Verification Team also pointed out that the Gimhae New Airport construction plan is not free from aircraft safety accidents compared to the existing airport.

There are obstacles such as Gyeungunsan and Imhosan on the aircraft landing approach surface, and after a failed landing on the runway, a go-around to the south risks collision with Seungaksan Mountain directly ahead and the high-rise apartments of Eco Delta City on the right. Additionally, the presence of over 60 bird species poses a constant bird strike risk, the biggest cause of aviation accidents, due to the poor geographical conditions around the current airport.

The investigation of the past Dotaesan crash concluded that it occurred when pilots lost the exact turning point while performing a circling flight to land north of Gimhae Airport amid heavy rain and fog.

According to the government investigation at the time, Gimhae Airport was found to be 29 times more dangerous compared to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. Six years after the accident, in 2008, guidance lights were installed to allow safe circling for aircraft landing from the north, and radio facilities necessary for safe operation were expanded.

The city added, "Despite safety facility improvements, Gimhae Airport is surrounded by mountains to the north, has a runway with the lowest safety rating of a non-precision approach, and remains exposed to accident risks. The Prime Minister's Office should thoroughly review regional conditions during the new airport verification and ensure that safety, noise issues, and other concerns are verified to a level satisfactory to local residents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.