First crash within 47 years. First pilot is alive

Air crash which took place the day before yesterday in the south of South Korea was the first within 47-year history of the Chinese air company carrying out international flights. It should be noticed that information agencies’ report about all passengers having died turned out to be premature. The plane of US production, Boeing 767 has carried out about 40 thousand successful landings in airports of many countries of the world within 17 years of its service. The 39,542nd landing (the crew had not got permission for it from Pusan airport) turned out to be fatal: the plane fell in a woodland, at a distance of literally 1 km from living area. On the board, there were 11 members of the crew and 155 passengers (136 Koreans, 18 Chinese and one Uzbek). While falling, the plane split up to three parts, and they burst into flame. Though, the rescuers managed to take out 56 living people (of whom several died on the way to the hospital), while the commander of the plane is alive, 32-year-old pilot U Singlu – medical staff is doing its best to rescue his life. It is very important, because the reasons of the catastrophe must be investigated. A Chinese delegation of 59 experts should soon arrive to the spot. According to the Seul newspaper Korea Times, the dispute about who must indemnify the damage which makes approximately several billion dollars could last for several years. The reasons of the crash could be rain, cloudiness or a sudden wind gust. As a result, the plane hit against a 600-metres-high mountain. One of the still not solved riddles is disappearance of 8 passengers, who have not been found yet either among died or living.

Andrei Krushinsky PRAVDA.Ru Beijing

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/04/16/39844.html