The deadliest aviation accident in American dependent territory, killing 229 of 254 aboard when a Korean Air 747 struck a hilltop approaching Guam.
Key Facts
- Date of crash
- August 6, 1997
- Aircraft type
- Boeing 747-300
- People aboard
- 254 persons
- Deaths
- 229 persons
- Survivors
- 25 persons
- Impact site
- Bijia Peak, south of Nimitz Hill, Guam
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The NTSB determined that poor communication among the flight crew and the captain's flawed decision-making during a non-precision approach were the primary causes. The crew failed to properly monitor their descent and did not execute a missed approach when conditions warranted, leading them to fly into terrain short of the runway.
On August 6, 1997, Korean Air Flight 801, en route from Gimpo International Airport in Seoul to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam, struck Bijia Peak on Nimitz Hill in Asan-Maina, Guam, while on approach in darkness. Of 254 people aboard the Boeing 747-300, 229 were killed.
The crash became the deadliest aviation accident in any American dependent territory and the fourth-deadliest on American soil overall. The accident prompted heightened scrutiny of cockpit crew communication standards and non-precision approach procedures, contributing to broader improvements in controlled-flight-into-terrain safety protocols.