What happened
On 28 July 2011, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 747-40 00F, registration HL7604, crashed into the sea approximately 130 km west of Jeju International Airport. During the flight, a fire ignited within the main cargo deck. The crew attempted to manage the emergency, but the intensity of the fire led to the loss of the aircraft. There were no survivors of the impact.
The investigation
The ARAIB conducted an extensive investigation into the wreckage and the cargo manifest. Investigators examined the aircraft's flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and ACARS messages to reconstruct the timeline of the fire and the crew's response. The investigation also included laboratory testing of various substances loaded on the aircraft, including lithium-ion batteries, paints, and photo-resist chemicals.
Technical research focused on the potential for ignition from electrostatic discharge and the chemical properties of the cargo. Simulations were performed to model how smoke and flames would propagate through the cargo compartment and to evaluate the effectiveness of the aircraft's fire detection and suppression systems. Additionally, the investigation reviewed the airline's dangerous goods handling procedures and the maintenance history of the aircraft.