Korean Air Passenger Plane Deviates from Runway at Philippine Airport... "No Casualties" (Comprehensive Report 3)

Philippine Cebu Airport Runway Excursion During Landing
162 Passengers... No Casualties
Brake System Failure Suspected Cause
Korean Air Deploys Replacement Flights Immediately After Cebu Airport Reopens... Dispatches Over 40 Secondary Support Staff
President Woo Ki-hong "Apologize for the Concern... Working to Manage the Situation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] A Korean Air passenger plane departing from Incheon and landing at Cebu Airport in the Philippines experienced a runway excursion (over-run) after landing. So far, no casualties have been reported. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korean Air have stated that they are fully committed to managing the accident.

According to the Ministry of Land on the 24th, the Korean Air A330-300 passenger plane (KE631) that departed from Incheon International Airport at 6:35 PM the previous day and was heading to Mactan Airport in Cebu made an abnormal landing at 11:07 PM local time on the 23rd due to bad weather.

There were 162 passengers and 11 crew members on board. The passengers evacuated the plane urgently via slides and moved to a local hotel. It has been confirmed that there are no casualties so far. The aircraft is stopped near the runway with damage to the landing gear and the lower fuselage, resulting in the closure of the Cebu Airport runway.

Philippine authorities and the Ministry of Land suspect that the aircraft’s brake system likely malfunctioned and are investigating the exact cause of the accident. According to initial investigations, the pilot reported that the brake system warning light came on during landing and that the plane was unable to reduce speed on the runway. It is presumed that the brake hydraulic system was damaged due to impact on the wheels during the process of taking off again after two failed landing attempts.

The Ministry of Land has established an accident response headquarters to thoroughly manage the runway excursion incident. Immediately after receiving the accident report, the Ministry set up the response headquarters led by the Director General of the Aviation Policy Bureau. They are currently assessing the damage and establishing communication with local diplomatic missions and airlines to respond to the accident.

A Ministry of Land official said, "Typically, investigations and cause identification for domestic accidents take at least one year, but since this accident occurred overseas, it is expected to take even longer to determine the exact cause. The runway is currently closed, so the aircraft has not been towed yet. After discussing the towing method, we plan to specifically discuss passenger transfer measures."

Korean Air is also investigating the exact cause while managing the accident. In addition, to restore normal airport operations quickly, the Philippine accident investigation agency is carrying out necessary measures for towing the aircraft. The first support personnel have already been dispatched. They plan to assist in detailed situation assessment and recovery.

Meanwhile, flight attendants provided blankets and drinks to passengers waiting in the holding area and gave situation updates via megaphone. A Korean Air official explained, "For 27 passengers who had difficulties entering the country due to incomplete entry documents (left on the aircraft), all flight and cabin crew waited with them until entry was completed. After all passengers entered and left for hotels, the crew also moved accordingly."

Korean Air plans to operate a replacement flight as soon as the Cebu Airport runway reopens. In particular, Vice President Lee Soo-geun will lead a second dispatch of about 40 personnel, including employees from related departments. This group will include two Ministry of Land supervisors and three accident investigation committee investigators, totaling five members on board.

Korean Air President Woo Ki-hong issued an apology statement on the day, saying, "I bow my head and apologize to everyone who cares about Korean Air. Fortunately, no casualties have been confirmed, but I feel sorry for causing concern to the passengers and their families."

He added, "We will do our best to manage the situation thoroughly and ensure that passengers are served safely and comfortably without inconvenience. We will closely cooperate with local aviation and government authorities to resolve the situation as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, due to the closure of the Cebu Airport runway caused by this accident, flights between Incheon and Cebu are not operating. The closure is expected to last until 5 PM Korean time.

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