[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 116 (Friday, September 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H6954-H6955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     KOREAN AIR FLIGHT 801 TRAGEDY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, while the rest of the Nation has turned 
its attention to other matters, we on Guam are still reeling from the 
aftermath of the worst air disaster in our island's modern history.
  On August 6, 1997, at approximately 1:42 a.m. Guam time, a Korean Air 
Boeing 747 enroute from Seoul to Guam crashed into a hill 3 miles short 
of the runway at the airport. The jumbo jet carried 254 people, 228 of 
whom have perished. The last victim of flight 801 was Mr. Chung Yong-
hak, who died on September 3 while being treated at Brooks Army Medical 
Center in San Antonio, TX.
  I rise today to express the people of Guam's condolences to the 
family and friends of the crash victims. We shared their pain most 
intimately, not only because it was on our soil but also because the 
people on that plane were not entirely strangers. Nationalities and 
citizenship aside, there were mothers and fathers, brothers and 
sisters, sons and daughters, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors 
who were coming home or looking forward to a visit.
  Guam is a small community and a significant number of our population 
were touched by the loss of someone known to them in some way. Among 
the dead, eight were returning Guam residents of Korean descent. And 
among the survivors, there were four returning home.
  Last December I had the pleasure of sitting with Mr. Kenneth Kim of 
Tamuning as his daughter, Yuri Kim, was being sworn in as an officer of 
the American Foreign Service. Yuri's first assignment is at the U.S. 
Embassy in Beijing. She traveled to Guam, first to await word and then 
to mourn the death of her mother, Jane, who was among the passengers of 
that ill-fated flight.
  Mrs. Jane Wha-Young Kim was active in community service affairs and 
served as president of the Guam Korean Women's Association. She was 
laid to rest on August 18, 1997, and is survived by Kenneth, Yuri, and 
her son, Yong Sae. The Kim family will carry on and I, along with their 
friends, will offer solace as best as I can.
  The Dahilig family has also been severely affected by this tragic 
event. Mr. Mike Dahilig of the village of Dededo, his sons, Richard and 
Michael, his father-in-law Young Min Kim and his many brothers and 
sisters are making preparations to inter Mike's wife Joung-Ok and their 
1-year-old son Mitchell.
  I want to express to them again and to all the families of Korea Air 
Flight 801 our deepest condolences. Whether to respond to the ravages 
of typhoons or earthquakes, the people of Guam have always pulled 
together as a community and worked cooperatively to attend to one 
another's needs.
  In the early hours of August 6, our abilities were challenged to the 
maximum, but I stand proudly today to say that civilian and military 
personnel and volunteers from all sectors of our community joined 
forces, not merely as a consequence of training and function but in the 
spirit of kindness and compassion.
  By 6 a.m. on the morning of the crash, more than 500 civilian and 
military rescue personnel were on the site, which is in plain view from 
the roadside on Nimitz Hill but unaccessible by motorized vehicles. 
Rescue personnel, carrying what equipment they could manage, clambered 
down a steep ravine and up the other side. Desperately trying to reach 
survivors, they trekked for a mile and a half through mud and 
swordgrass.
  To reach the crash site, bulldozers widened a narrow utility road 
leading to a navigational beacon just yards from the crash site. 
Additionally, cranes were utilized to lift debris and wreckage so that 
victims and survivors could be reached. None of the first rescue 
personnel ever gave up hope of saving lives. As if unsatisfied with the 
toll on human life, the crash of Korean Air Flight 801 also claimed the 
life of an Air Force volunteer who suffered a heart attack while 
assisting at the crash site.
  Mr. Speaker, America can be proud of its men in uniform, men and 
women in uniform, who were stationed on Guam. The Navy, on whose 
property the crash occurred, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Guam 
National Guard, and the U.S. Army all responded quickly, 
professionally, and compassionately.
  The U.S. Army delegation was composed of airline crash investigators 
from the Army Central Identification Lab in Hawaii who just happened to 
be on Guam to examine a World War II B-29 crash site.
  Men and women from nearly every department and agency of the 
Government of Guam rallied to meet the crisis, either as professionals 
or volunteers. The Guam Fire Department, the Guam Police Department, 
Guam Airport Authority, Office of Civil Defense, Departments of Mental 
and Public Health, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Labor, 
Corrections, Youth Affairs and the Energy Office, the Governor's 
office, all allocated equipment, supplies, and personnel to meet the 
rescue and treatment efforts.
  Guam's business community also offered their full support. From 
Continental Airlines to small businesses like a McCrory Store, Little 
Future, Boonie Dog Designs, numerous establishments offered their time 
and energy. Churches of every religious denomination, nonprofit, civic 
organizations, and educational institutions lent their support.
  As a result, the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross was able to 
deliver more than 9,000 meals to crash site workers and offer nearly 
2,000 grief support encounters in the 7 days following the crash. No 
one likes to point out that this is an opportunity to see the community 
work together, but the people of Guam certainly could be proud of their 
effort.
  Mr. Speaker, I include the following for the Record:

                                                  August 11, 1997.
     His Excellency Kim Young Sam,
     President, Republic of Korea, Presidential Palace, Seoul, 
         Korea.
       Your Excellency, The courage, strength and stamina of 
     Asian-Pacific people in times of adversity are legendary. 
     Sadly, we know that the great people of the Republic of Korea 
     must again call upon these inherent qualities to bear the 
     terrible tragedy of the loss of Flight 801. In this, we, the 
     people of the Territory of Guam, join you in pain and sorrow, 
     and offer this message of hope: we have unfaltering 
     confidence in the legacy of the Korean people to triumph over 
     adversity. Together, we shall attend to the painful and 
     difficult tasks at hand; together, we shall endure this 
     tragedy; and together, we shall grow stronger in respect and 
     friendship.
       On behalf of all the people of Guam, we send our deepest 
     and most heartfelt condolences to you, the families and 
     friends of all

[[Page H6955]]

     the victims, and to the people of the Republic of Korea. 
     Please know that we are doing all we can to assist the 
     families in any way possible, and that we stand ready to do 
     more if need be.
       Yoo Gam Eul Pyo Ham Ni Da. Si Yu'us ma'ase,
     Carl T.C. Gutierrez,
                                                 Governor of Guam.
     Robert A. Underwood,
     Member of Congress.
                                                                    ____


              [From the Pacific Daily News, Aug. 21, 1997]

    Canceling Flights Is the Wrong response to Guam Korean Air Crash

       Korean Ministry of Transportation and Korean airline 
     company officials may have overeacted to the recent crash of 
     Korean Air Flight 901.
       That reaction may be an economic blow to both Guam and 
     Saipan, and can be interpreted as shifting blame away from 
     Korean Air and putting it on Guam International Airport 
     Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration.
       According to Asiana Airlines, the company will suspend all 
     flights to Guam until Sept. 12, when the glide slope at the 
     Guam International Airport is supposed to be repaired.
       That decision follows a Korean Ministry of Transportation 
     recommendation to stop night flights.
       Korean Air has restricted its Guam-bound flights to 
     daylight operations and has completely canceled all flights 
     into Saipan until Oct. 25.
       These changes may result in significant losses in tourist 
     revenue until service is fully restored.
       The reason for the crash hasn't been established, but 
     National Transportation Board officials in early statements 
     were clear that the inoperative glide slope and a 
     malfunctioning altitude warning system did not cause the 
     airliner to go down.
       In fact, other airline companies have not let the crash or 
     equipment inadequacies alter their schedules. They continue 
     to fly safe night approaches and landings into Guam's 
     airport. Their pilots seem confident they can handle flights 
     here.
       If Korean airline companies are concerned about flying into 
     Guam at night, then perhaps they should stop all night 
     operations until this crash is thoroughly analyzed.
       There are certainly plenty of challenging and even more 
     dangerous approaches to other airports where these airlines 
     fly.
       It doesn't make sense to restrict flights coming to Guam 
     and Saipan without taking similar action elsewhere.
       Instead, this appears to single us out and summarily put 
     the blame on U.S. air controllers, flight safety operations 
     and navigational equipment at airports on Guam and Saipan.
       It would be much more constructive, in fostering 
     international relations and developing safer flights 
     procedures, to work more closely together on this problem, 
     than to appear to single us out for retribution.
                                                                    ____

                                           Office of the Governor,


                                            Territory of Guam,

                                                  August 27, 1997.
     Hon. Joong Yol Aun,
     Consul General, Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, 
         Agana, Guam.
       Dear Consul General Aun: The Government of Guam would like 
     to extend its appreciation to the Consul General for his 
     expression of interest in the modalities of rescue procedures 
     carried out by emergency personnel of the Government of Guam 
     and the United States Government following the tragedy of 
     Korean Air Flight 801. We request the indulgence of the 
     Consul General in understanding that our responses represent 
     the views of the Government of Guam, and all references to 
     actions by the U.S. military should be reconfirmed by them. 
     We request that the facts be considered without prejudice.
       A. Although there was some initial traffic congestion, a 
     broken fuel pipeline damaged by the aircraft blocked the 
     closest road to the crash. In addition, it must be pointed 
     out that the road itself did not lead directly to the site. 
     The aircraft crashed in an uninhabited and hard to reach 
     area. Fire trucks could not have reached or been driven down 
     to the wreckage because there was no path or road leading to 
     it. Additionally, witnesses who first reached the scene 
     indicate that intense heat made certain areas inaccessible 
     from the moment the crash occurred. They report it is nearly 
     impossible for anyone to have survived the fire in those 
     areas, which erupted immediately upon impact.
       B. Throughout the rescue phase, every effort was made to 
     save all possible survivors. This priority was first and 
     foremost on the mind of everyone on the scene that night. The 
     brave men and women who were part of the rescue effort were 
     at constant risk throughout the operation. The commanders on 
     scene determined that it was impossible for any passengers to 
     still be alive in the areas burning, areas which were burning 
     for over a half-hour before rescuers could reach the scene. 
     Firefighters on the scene, professionally trained to 
     determine the best course of action in such situations, 
     indicated that dousing the wreckage with water would do 
     little in the way of extinguishing the fire. In fact, 
     spraying water on the wreckage could have posed an even 
     greater risk if pressurized hoses spread pieces of burning 
     metal onto survivors or rescue workers. Water could also have 
     dispersed burning fuel to unburned areas, and the use of 
     Halon, a firefighting agent, could also have posed a health 
     hazard to survivors or rescue workers. In some areas of the 
     wreckage, temperatures were estimated to be as high as 1100 
     degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, a decision was made by the 
     Navy to use the helicopters to fly survivors to the hospital, 
     rather than drop water. A water drop could very easily have 
     injured or killed more survivors or rescue workers.
       C. The ``explosion'' referred to in your letter of 3:24 
     a.m. on August 6, was, according to preliminary reports, in 
     an area of the wreckage that did not contain survivors, and 
     while the immediate sound and flying debris was noticed by 
     rescue workers, it did not have any significant impact on the 
     rescue efforts underway, nor on the number of survivors 
     pulled from the wreckage. At the time of the explosion the 
     fire was generally confined to the fuel tank area of the 
     wing, and did not endanger any survivors.
       I would also like to note that ABC News, one of the 
     agencies that first put out erroneous reports on the rescue 
     efforts, has retracted its inflammatory and false statements, 
     and the retraction has run on the ABC internet page.
       Finally, I would like to sum up by saying that you have my 
     personal assurances, having been one of the first individuals 
     on the crash site, that the Government of Guam, the U.S. 
     Government, and all the civilian volunteers involved, did 
     everything within our power to rescue the survivors of Korean 
     Air Flight 801. Dozens of brave men and women put their lives 
     on the line to save every person who could be saved. I would 
     also like to note that a full investigation into the cause of 
     the crash will be issued by the National Transportation 
     Safety Board, and until that time, official reports on the 
     crash and the conduct of everyone involved will be under 
     review.
       I trust this letter will satisfy your concerns. The 
     Government of Guam, Sir, wishes to take this opportunity to 
     extend to the Consul General the assurances of our highest 
     consideration.
           Very truly yours,
                                              Carl T.C. Gutierrez,
     Governor of Guam.

                          ____________________