Utibe Inyang
Did you know that there are several high-profile aviation accidents caused by dangerous goods?
One of the few incidents happened on July 28, 2011, when an Asiana Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft crashed in the sea off South Korea’s Jeju Island. This was later determined to have been caused by a fire in the cargo hold. Both pilots were killed.
Asiana Airlines Flight OZ991 was en route from Incheon International Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport when the pilot reported a cargo fire to the Shanghai Area Control Center shortly after takeoff and was forced to divert toward Jeju Island.
Investigation revealed that the fire was caused by the dangerous goods loaded on the main cargo deck. These dangerous goods included: 244 kg (538 lb) of 6-cell and 12-cell lithium-ion batteries intended for use in hybrid motor vehicles.
Although, the investigators determined that the dangerous goods had been stored, handled and loaded in accordance with existing regulations at the time. the investigation resulted in recommendations for improvement.
REFERENCES:
- en.wikipedia.org
- flightsafety.org
- icao.int
