Analysis of Injuries Following the Crash of Chinese Passenger Flight B767-200 During Its Approach to Kimhae Airport

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: These days, airline traffic is so developed that the globe has become much smaller and interest in fear of passenger-flight crashes is increasing. Using the opportunity offered by the Kimhae airline disaster, the author studied the relation of the injury mechanism & the seat-position to the injury severity in order to provide helpful information for use in other situations. METHODS: The author performed a retrospective analysis and compared survivors (37 persons) with deaths (129 persons) in the crash of Chinese passenger-flight B767-200 approaching Kimhae airport on April 15, 2002. RESULTS: Most of the survivors were seated in the rear of the airplane while most of those who died were in the front. Thus, a definite correlation exists between seat position in the aircraft and the injury severity. The deceleration force generated during a flight crash is sufficient to induce fatal injury. CONCLUSION: Most flight crashes are due to CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) accidents which are caused by the pilot being insensible to safety. This time, it was also the case. The author wishes it not to be the case next time.