KAL plane headed to Sydney forced to land on engine issue a week after Cebu runway excursion

[Photo by Kim Ho-young]

An airplane of Korean Air Lines Co. carrying nearly 200 passengers bound for Australia returned to Incheon International Airport immediately after takeoff due to overheating issue on Sunday, just a week after the airline’s runway overshoot incident at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines.

Korean Air Lines’ KE401 heading for Sydney of Australia departed from Incheon airport later than the initial schedule (at 6:45 p.m.) on Sunday and circled back to land in Incheon at 7:40 p.m. after pilots recognized an engine failure right after takeoff, according to the airliner. It was carrying 173 passengers.

The flight landed safely at the Incheon airport, and all passengers were safely deplaned, it added.

Some passengers in their interviews with Maeil Business Newspaper said they reached out to their families to inform them about an engine fire. The airliner denied there was a fire while admitting that it has received testimony of passengers about a spark on engine.

Unlike the casual explanation by Korean Air Lines, the cabin had bee in utter panic.

One passenger said he or she saw sparks coming out of the wing with loud blasts, which instantly turned the plane into a madhouse. “Korean Air Lines however did not issue any explanation after the accident,” said another.

The latest incident did not cause injuries, but passenger anxiety has built up as it happened just a week after the airliner's A330-300 passenger airplane that departed from Incheon International Airport with 173 people overran the runway at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines while trying to land in poor climate on Oct. 23.

Since the engine failure was detected after departure on Sunday, the latest incident could have led to serious casualties.

Korean Air Lines shares closed 0.22 percent lower at 23,100 won ($16.2) in Seoul on Monday.

[ⓒ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]