Air Busan Flight 391

Last updated

Air Busan Flight 391
Air Busan A321-200 HL7763 at Gimhae Int'l Airport.jpg
HL7763, the aircraft involved in the accident 4 weeks earlier
Accident
Date28 January 2025 (2025-01-28)
SummaryGround fire before takeoff, under investigation
Site Gimhae International Airport, Busan, South Korea
Aircraft
Aircraft type Airbus A321-231
Operator Air Busan
IATA flight No.BX391
ICAO flight No.ABL391
Call signAIR BUSAN 391
Registration HL7763
Flight origin Gimhae International Airport, Busan, South Korea
Destination Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong SAR
Occupants176
Passengers169
Crew7
Fatalities0
Injuries7
Survivors176

Air Busan Flight 391 was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by Air Busan from Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, to Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong. [1] [2] [3] On 28 January 2025, the aircraft caught fire shortly before takeoff at Gimhae International Airport, resulting in 7 injuries and the evacuation of all 176 people on board. [4]

Contents

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was an Airbus A321 registered as HL7763 [5] and had been in service since 2008. It was delivered to Air Busan on 1 June 2017. [6]

Passengers and crew

There were 169 passengers and 6 crew members aboard the plane, [7] as well as 1 maintenance engineer. [1] [8] Most passengers were travelling for the Lunar New Year holidays. The passengers also included 22 foreign nationals, including 18 Chinese, 2 Americans, 1 British and 1 Filipino. [9]

Accident

The aircraft was about to taxi following a 20-minute delay [9] when a fire broke out at the tail section at around 10:26 p.m. KST [1] and spread through the empennage [2] and nearly half of its fuselage. [10] Air Busan said that the fire was spotted by a crew member on an overhead compartment near the rear left side of the cabin. Some passengers said the fire broke following a "crackling" sound. Another passenger said the crew failed to order the evacuation of passengers near the source of the fire and told them to remain seated while they initially tried to put out the flames using a fire extinguisher, by which time embers had already spread to other parts of the aircraft. Other passengers also accused the airline of not having "a proper protocol or manual in place", as airline officials only told them to go home or to the nearest hotel without other instructions. [6] [11]

The airline said that the crew had no time to make an official announcement to the passengers regarding the fire, but said that it had followed all appropriate procedures, adding that the captain immediately shut down the aircraft's hydraulic and fuel systems to prevent secondary damage after being informed by the crew over the fire. [6] Air Busan also said that its crew had prevented a passenger from opening the affected overhead compartment to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, saying that it would have fed more oxygen to the fire and cause its intensification. [11]

All 176 people on board evacuated safely using inflatable slides, [12] including one that was opened by a passenger. [11] Seven minor injuries were reported from the fire; four crew members experienced chest discomfort due to smoke inhalation, while three elderly passengers experienced pain in their tailbones and backs. [13] The fire generated holes along the length of the fuselage roof. [14] Firefighters arrived at the scene at 10:34 p.m. KST. The fire was put out at 11:31 p.m. [1] before it could reach the aircraft's wings, which carried 35,000 pounds of fuel. [9]

The fire was the first accident involving Air Busan since 2013. [1]

Investigation

Acting president and prime minister Choi Sang-mok ordered a thorough investigation into the accident. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport deployed officials to the site and established an emergency response team. [6] The flight data recorders were recovered following the fire, while a team from the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety was also sent to investigate the incident on account of the origins of the aircraft's manufacturer. [15] Authorities declared ruled that the removal of the aircraft's fuel was not necessary for investigators to search the aircraft following safety checks. [16] A joint investigation by the ministry and the bureau into the fire began on 3 February, with police and the National Forensic Service also taking samples from inside the aircraft and with only 12 people allowed inside the fuselage due to safety concerns. [17]

Amid suspicions that the fire was caused by a battery that had been placed inside a carry-on bag in the overhead compartment, the South Korean government was reported to be reviewing procedures on the handling of batteries inside aircraft. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudia</span> Flag carrier of Saudi Arabia; based in Jeddah

Saudia, formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia based in Jeddah. The airline's main hubs are the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the latter of which it plans to move out of by 2030.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviation accidents and incidents</span> Accidental aviation occurrences

An aviation accident is an event during aircraft operation that causes serious injury, death, or destruction. An aviation incident is any operating event that compromises safety but does not progress to an aviation accident. Preventing accidents and incidents is the main goal of aviation safety.

Gimhae International Airport is located on the western end of Busan, South Korea. Opened in 1976, the airport is named after the nearby city of Gimhae. A new international terminal opened on October 31, 2007. Gimhae International Airport is the main hub for Air Busan, and a focus city for Jeju Air, Jin Air and Korean Air. Runway 18L/36R is used for military purposes only for Gimhae Air Base, but due to increasing traffic, there are plans to open the runway for airliners. In 2018, 17,064,613 passengers used the airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korean Air</span> Flag carrier of South Korea

Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asiana Airlines</span> Airline of South Korea

Asiana Airlines Inc. is a South Korean airline headquartered in Seoul. The airline operates 90 international passenger routes, 14 domestic passenger routes and 27 cargo routes throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. In 2019, it accounted for 25% of South Korea's international aviation market and 20% of its domestic market. It maintains its international hub at Incheon International Airport and its domestic hub at Gimpo International Airport, both in Seoul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle East Airlines</span> Flag carrier of Lebanon; based in Beirut

Middle East Airlines – Air Liban S.A.L., more commonly known as Middle East Airlines (MEA), is the flag carrier of Lebanon, with its head office in Beirut, near Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. It operates scheduled international flights to Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from its base at Rafic Hariri International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air China Flight 129</span> 2002 aviation accident in South Korea

Air China Flight 129 (CCA129/CA129) was a scheduled international passenger flight, operated by Air China, from Beijing Capital International Airport to Gimhae International Airport in Busan. On 15 April 2002, the aircraft on this route, a Boeing 767-200ER, crashed into a hill named Mount Dotdae near Gimhae Airport, killing 129 of the 166 people on board.

TransAsia Airways was a Taiwanese airline based in Neihu District in Taipei. Though the company started its operations focusing mainly on the Taiwanese domestic market, it operated on many scheduled international routes and focused mainly on Southeast and Northeast Asia and cross-strait flights at the time of closure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lufthansa CityLine</span> Regional airline of Germany

Lufthansa CityLine GmbH is a German regional airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Munich Airport. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa and maintains hubs at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport, from where it operates a dense domestic and European network on behalf of its parent company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeju International Airport</span> Airport serving Jeju Island, South Korea

Jeju International Airport is the second-largest airport in South Korea, just behind Incheon Airport in Incheon near Seoul. It is located in Jeju City.

Kogalymavia, DBA Metrojet, was a Russian airline based in Kogalym, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Its home base was at Kogalym International Airport, with the main hub at Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow. It suspended all operations in December 2015, two months after the terrorist attack on Flight 9268.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeju Air</span> Low-cost airline of South Korea

Jeju Air Co., Ltd. is the first and the largest South Korean low-cost airline. Named after Jeju Island, the airline is headquartered in Jeju City with its largest base at Jeju International Airport. It is a founding member of the Value Alliance.

Korean Air has been in operation since 1969, and this article is about aviation incidents and accidents involving the airline and its predecessor companies Korean National Airlines and Korean Air Lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asiana Airlines Flight 733</span> 1993 plane crash in South Korea

Asiana Airlines Flight 733 was a domestic Asiana Airlines passenger flight from Seoul-Gimpo International Airport to Mokpo Airport, South Korea. The Boeing 737 crashed on 26 July 1993, in the Hwawon area of Haenam County, South Jeolla Province. The cause of the accident was determined to be pilot error leading to controlled flight into terrain. 68 of the 116 passengers and crew on board were killed. The crash resulted in the first hull loss of a 737-500.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Busan</span> Low-cost airline of South Korea

Air Busan Co., Ltd., operating as Air Busan is a low-cost airline based in Busanjin-gu, Busan, South Korea. It is a subsidiary of Asiana Airlines. The airline began its operation in 2007 as Busan International Airlines Company ; it launched service in October 2008. Air Busan is South Korea's third-largest low-cost airline, carrying 4.5 million domestic and 3.6 million international passengers in 2018. Air Busan has grown international passenger traffic by 122% over the past three years, while domestic traffic has grown by 38%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ural Airlines Flight 178</span> 2019 aviation incident

Ural Airlines Flight 178 was a scheduled passenger flight by Ural Airlines from Moscow–Zhukovsky to Simferopol, Crimea. On 15 August 2019, the Airbus A321 operating the flight carried 226 passengers and seven crew. The flight suffered a bird strike after taking off from Zhukovsky and crash landed in a cornfield, 5 kilometres away from the airport. All on board survived; 74 people sustained injuries, but none were severe.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "(3rd LD) 4 injured evacuating airplane on fire at Busan airport". Yonhap News Agency. 28 January 2025. Archived from the original on 28 January 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 Hradecky, Simon (28 January 2025). "Accident: Busan A321 at Busan on Jan 28th 2025, fire during departure preparations". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  3. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Accident Airbus A321-231 HL7763, Tuesday 28 January 2025". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Hughes, David (28 January 2025). "Air Busan Airbus A321 Catches Fire, All Crews and Passengers Evacuated". Aviation A2Z. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  5. ↑ "Air Busan A321 Fire Forces Evacuation in South Korea". Airways Magazine. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Probe begins into cause of Air Busan fire". The Korea Herald. 29 January 2025. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "Air Busan flight BX391, which caught fire while preparing to take off at Gimhae International Airpor." Maeil Business Newspaper. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Passenger plane catches fire at South Korean airport. All 176 people on board are evacuated". AP News. 29 January 2025. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 "Air Busan plane fire raises battery fears". The Korea Times. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "14 airplane fires occurred in past decade, inflicting 200m won damage per case". The Korea Times. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 "Passengers criticize Air Busan over fire evacuation response". The Korea Times. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Lukiv, Jaroslav (28 January 2025). "South Korea plane fire causes mass evacuation". BBC. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "No. of injured victims from Busan airplane fire rises to 7, all with minor injuries". The Korea Herald. 29 January 2025. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Passenger plane catches fire in South Korea prompting mass evacuation, three injured". CNN. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "(3rd LD) Black boxes retrieved from fire-destroyed Air Busan plane; French team to join probe". Yonhap News Agency. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "Authorities to begin joint probe of fire-destroyed Air Busan plane early next week". Yonhap News Agency. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  17. ↑ "Authorities launch joint probe into fire-destroyed Air Busan plane". Yonhap News Agency. 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  18. ↑ "Air Busan fire leads to calls for stricter regulations on batteries". The Korea Times. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.