The aircraft involved in the accident was a 24-year-old Airbus A330-322, with manufacturer serial number 219, registered as HL7525. It first flew on 12 May 1998, and was delivered brand new to Korean Air on 26 June 1998.[5] The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW4168 engines.[6]
HL7525 after overrunning the runway, before being scrapped
The flight departed Seoul at 19:20 KST (10:20 UTC) and was scheduled to land at Cebu at 22:00 PHT (14:00 UTC). At about 22:12 PHT (14:12 UTC), KE631 was on final approach to Mactan–Cebu's runway 22 when it executed a go-around. A second landing attempt at 22:26 was unsuccessful. Subsequently, the aircraft circled northeast of Cebu for approximately 30 minutes before conducting a third approach. On the third attempt, the aircraft successfully touched down at 23:08, but was unable to stop on the runway.
The aircraft continued past the end of the runway, striking an instrument landing system lighting array before stopping 300 metres (980 ft; 330 yd) beyond the runway threshold.[7] According to eyewitness accounts, "The instrument landing system lighting array laid over the wings of the aircraft once the aircraft was stopped in the marsh."[citation needed]
Weather reports indicated that the wind speed was 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) from the south-west at 220 degrees.[7] As the aircraft landed on runway 22, there was a 9-knot headwind present. Visibility was 8,000 metres (8.0 km; 5.0 mi) at the time of the accident, with thunderstorms and rain in the area; there were no reports of lightning. Cumulonimbus clouds were scattered at 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) and overcast at 9,000 metres (30,000 ft) above Cebu.[7] Other planes decided to divert due to weather prior to KE631's landing attempts, but there is no information on the time span between the other diversions and the Korean Air flight.[citation needed]
Korean Air published an apology on their Instagram account, stating "A thorough investigation will be performed together with the local aviation authorities and Korean authorities to determine the cause(s) of this event."[10][11][12]
Commentators noted that "there are many unanswered questions" including why the flight crew of this flight chose to attempt the landing when no other pilots deemed it safe.[13] News reports noted the similarities to previous crashes on Korean Air that were caused by pilot error and the airline's historic safety culture.[5][14][15]
The aftermath of HL7525Closeup of HL7525's tailside as seen on Mactan Aviation Road
After another incident where an engine of another Korean Air Airbus A330 had malfunctioned after takeoff, Korean Air announced it will be grounding the entirety of its Airbus A330 fleet, pending a safety audit.[16][17][18]
Since 31 October 2022, Korean Air changed the Seoul–Cebu route flight number from KE631 to KE615. The return flight to Seoul, KE632, was also changed to KE616.[19]
For a while HL7525 remained at the end of the runway with its livery, logo and vertical stabilizer removed. After two months of constructing a road to tow out the aircraft, HL7525 was towed to the southern corner of the airfield, where the almost complete hull has since remained there.[citation needed]
On 24 October 2022, Philippines authorities as well as Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) released a preliminary report that concluded that a hydraulic failure had caused the failure of brakes on the aircraft.[21]
On 25 October 2022, it was reported that the captain of the flight provided testimony that they suffered a hard touchdown on their second approach due to wind shear forcing them down. During the following go-around, a warning light regarding the brakes lit up. The crew therefore declared an emergency. On the third landing attempt, a warning light regarding the pressure of the brakes lit up and the pilots could not slow down the aircraft.[22]
On 23 October 2023, CAAP released the first interim statement, stating that the draft investigation report was in its final stage of preparation.[23] On 22 October 2024, CAAP released the second interim statement, stating that the draft final report had been sent to all concerned Accredited Representatives.[24]
