Korean Air jet overshoots runway in Cebu, no injuries reported

A Korean Air Lines Co Ltd jet with 173 people on board overshot the runway at the Mactan – Cebu International Airport late Sunday, the airline said, adding that there were no injuries and all passengers had evacuated safely.

The Airbus SE A330 widebody flying from Seoul to Cebu had tried to land twice in poor weather before it overran the runway on the third attempt at 23:07 local time, Korean Air said in a statement on Monday.

“Passengers have been escorted to three local hotels and an alternative flight is being arranged,” the airline said of flight KE361. “We are currently identifying the cause of the incident.”

Unverified photos from the scene on social media showed widespread damage to the plane, with the nose landing gear appeared to have collapsed.

Korean Air President Keehong Woo issued a letter of apology regarding the flight on the airline’s website, noting that a thorough investigation would be performed with local aviation authorities and Korean authorities to determine the cause.

“We remain committed to standing behind our promise of safe operations and will do our very best to institute measures to prevent its recurrence,” Woo said.

The A330-300 jet involved in the accident was delivered new to Korean Air in 1998, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, which said that other flights to Cebu had diverted to other airports or returned to their origin.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority said the runway was closed temporarily pending an assessment.

Korean Air has not had a fatal passenger crash since 1997, according to Aviation Safety Network, a website that compiles aviation accidents.

The airline had a poor safety record at that time but sought outside help from Boeing Co and Delta Air Lines Inc to improve its standards.

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