South Korea to begin on-site investigation of burnt Air Busan plane
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SEOUL - Passengers evacuated from an Air Busan plane that was engulfed in flames this week at a South Korean airport will have their checked baggage returned to them, after the authorities on Jan 31 deemed the jet safe for a full investigation.
All 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated from the Airbus A321ceo using emergency slides after the fire broke out on Jan 28, with only a few minor injuries, Air Busan said.
The authorities on Jan 31 conducted a risk management assessment ahead of a full investigation of the burnt Airbus A321ceo plane, which remains on the tarmac at Gimhae International Airport in the southern city of Busan.
The fire, which began around 10.15pm (9.15pm Singapore time) on Jan 28 as the jet was preparing for departure to Hong Kong, was first detected in an overhead luggage bin in the rear left-hand side of the plane by a flight attendant, an Air Busan spokesperson told Reuters on Jan 31.
The Transport Ministry on Jan 31 said the 16,280kg of jet fuel did not need to be offloaded, and other hazardous materials such as oxygen tanks will be secured. The plane will be covered by a canopy to protect it during the inspection, which will begin on Feb 3.
Baggage in the cargo hold was removed on Jan 31, the ministry said.
The incident came a month after the deadliest air disaster on South Korean soil when a Jeju Air plane crashed on Muan International Airport’s runway as it made an emergency belly landing, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.
Fuel hazard
Air Busan’s single-aisle 17-year-old plane has burnt-out holes along the length of the fuselage roof. Its wings and engines were not burned, a Transport Ministry statement said.
South Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board is leading the investigation, and was joined on Jan 30 by representatives of France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety.
France is the state of design for Airbus planes.
Budget airline Air Busan is part of South Korea’s Asiana Airlines, which in December was acquired by Korean Air.
Air Busan shares closed down 3.2 per cent on Jan 31 after dropping as much as 6.1 per cent, following a four-day holiday break. REUTERS
