A Korean Air jet with 173 people on board skidded off the runway at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines late Sunday (October 23), adding that no one was injured and all passengers had been evacuated safely.
Korean Air said in a statement on Monday that the Airbus SE A330 wide-body aircraft flying from Seoul to Cebu made two attempts to land in bad weather before overshooting on a third attempt at 11:07 p.m. local time. track.
“Passengers have been escorted to three local hotels and are being arranged for another flight,” the airline said of flight KE361. “We are currently investigating the cause of the accident.”
Unconfirmed photos of the scene on social media showed extensive damage to the plane, with what appeared to be a collapsed nose gear.
Korean Air President Keehong Woo posted a letter of apology for the flight on the airline’s website, noting that a thorough investigation will be conducted with local aviation authorities and South Korean authorities to determine the cause.
“We remain committed to our commitment to operate safely and will do our best to take steps to prevent it from happening again,” Woo said.
The A330-300 jet involved in the accident was delivered to Korean Air in 1998, and other Cebu-bound flights were diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority said the runway was temporarily closed pending an assessment.
Korean Air has not had a fatal passenger crash since 1997, according to the Air Safety Network, a website that compiles aviation accidents.
The airline had a poor safety record at the time, but sought outside help from Boeing and Delta Air Lines to improve its standards.
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