page_title: Korean Air Flight 801
section_title: Rescue
hierarchical_section_title: Korean Air Flight 801 / Rescue
caption_attribution_description: English: Wreckage of the Korean Airlines flight 801 burns at the Sasa Valley crash site on Aug 6, 1997. 한국어: 1997년 8월 6일 사사 밸리에서 탄 대한항공 801편의 잔해
context_page_description: Korean Air Flight 801 was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by Korean Air. The flight crashed on August 6, 1997, on approach to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, in the United States territory of Guam, killing 229 of the 254 people aboard. The aircraft crashed on Nimitz Hill in Asan, Guam, while on approach to the airport. The National Transportation Safety Board cites poor communication between the flight crew as probable cause for the crash, along with the captain’s poor decision-making on the non-precision approach.
context_section_description: The rescue effort was hampered by the weather, terrain, and other problems. Emergency vehicles could not approach due to a fuel pipeline destroyed by the crash and blocking the narrow road. United States Navy Seabees of NMCB133 were some of the first on the scene as they utilized their earth moving equipment to clear roadways and timber from the crash site approach. The Seabees used backhoes to crack open the still-burning plane to rescue survivors and erected mortuary tents for first responders. There was confusion over the administration of the effort; the crash occurred on land owned by the United States Navy but civil authorities initially claimed authority. The hull had disintegrated, and jet fuel in the wing tanks had sparked a fire that was still burning eight hours after impact.
caption: Wreckage of HL7468 burns at the Sasa Valley crash site.
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