SAFETY

A320 Asiana Pilots Suspended for Hailstorm Incident

The Ministry of Construction and Transportation suspended two Asiana Airlines pilots whose aircraft was severely damaged after they flew into a hailstorm over Gyeonggi Province last year.

Asiana Airlines Flight 8942 made an emergency landing after hailstones and lightning caused the aircraft's nose cone to shear off and windshield to shatter over Iljuk, Gyeonggi Province on 9 June 2006. The Ministry's Civil Aviation Safety Authority said Thursday that Asiana was fined W100 million (US$1=W936) and the pilot and co-pilot were suspended for three months and one and a half months, respectively, for the incident.

The airplane was flying from Jeju Island to Kimpo airport with about 200 passengers on board when it entered the storm. Hailstones smashed the windshield, severely limiting visibility, but the pilots were able to land the plane safely. Asiana Airlines initially said it would award both pilots a "Well Done" award, its highest citation. But it reversed that decision when it was found that the pilots flew into the storm in violation of safety rules.

"Other planes detected the storm in advance and returned to the airport to avoid the hailstones," a ministry official said. "The accident was completely avoidable. It was clearly negligent of the pilots to overlook the danger signs."