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N0KFQ > TODAY 06.08.12 22:22l 39 Lines 1576 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Today in History - Aug 6
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N0KFQ<KB0WSA
Sent: 120806/1940Z 26342@KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA BPQK1.4.51
Aug 6, 1997:
Planes crashes in Guam jungle
A Korean Air Boeing 747 crashes in Guam, killing 228 people on
this day in 1997. An inexperienced crew and poor air-traffic
policies on the island territory contributed to the disaster.
Flight 801, carrying 254 passengers and crew members from Seoul,
South Korea, came in toward Guam at about 1:40 a.m. in the midst
of a rainstorm. The captain and pilot of the plane had already
flown several flights during the day and were beginning to show
signs of fatigue. Ordinarily, a tired pilot has several backup
systems to prevent crashes, but, on this night, there were no
such protections.
The plane's minimum safe altitude warning system was not
operational due to computer software problems. In addition, the
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees the A.B. Won
Guam International Airport in Agana, had not maintained the
air-traffic infrastructure properly--only one localizer, a device
that shows where a plane is in relation to the runway, was
working that night. Furthermore, many believe that the private
air-traffic controllers employed at the airport following the
notorious 1981 strike were not as vigilant and effective as the
former controllers.
Flight 801 missed the runway by several miles and slammed into
the jungle, killing nearly everyone onboard. Remarkably, rescue
workers managed to make their way through the thick jungle at
night, rescuing the 22 passengers and 3 crew members who were
still alive.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ KB0WSA.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: n0kfq@winlink.org
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