Asiana Airlines Flight 733 (1993 Mokpo crash)

Accident sequence

The aircraft was on approach to Mokpo when it struck hilly ground near the airport during descent. The collision occurred in adverse meteorological conditions, with heavy rain and reduced visibility reported in the region. Of the 116 people on board, 68 were killed, including both the captain and first officer; the remaining 48 passengers and crew survived with varying degrees of injury.

Aircraft, route and conditions

The flight was operated by Asiana Airlines on a short domestic routing from Seoul–Gimpo to Mokpo, an airport that at the time had limited instrument approach facilities compared with larger aerodromes. The approach took the aircraft over coastal and hilly terrain, and the combination of poor weather and challenging topography increased the difficulty of the final approach and landing phases.

Investigation and probable causes

Official investigations concluded that the crash was primarily the result of human factors during approach in deteriorating weather. Contributing elements identified by investigators and subsequent safety analyses included:

• Decision-making by the flight crew to continue an unstable or non-precision approach in poor visibility;
• Pilot situational awareness and altitude control during the final descent; and
• Limitations in airport approach procedures and navigational guidance available at Mokpo at the time.

Investigators emphasized that controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) risks increase when crews attempt approaches below published minima or without adequate visual references.

Aftermath and legacy

The accident prompted reviews of approach procedures, crew training for non-precision and visual approaches in marginal conditions, and improvements to airport navigation and safety oversight. As with similar accidents, the emphasis after the crash was on strengthening decision-making policies for go-arounds and improving terrain awareness. Memorials and remembrances for those lost have been held by families and communities affected by the tragedy.

Notable facts

The event is often cited in discussions of approach safety in regional operations. It highlights how adverse weather, challenging terrain and human factors can interact to produce catastrophic outcomes, and it underlines the ongoing importance of instrument procedure design, crew training and clear operating minima at smaller airports in preventing similar accidents. The crash site lies within what is now recognized as the coastal area of South Jeolla Province.