The South Korean Government has ordered checks on Korean Air's (KAL) Boeing 747 Classic fleet following an incident when one of its freighters lost a flap section.
South Korean civil aviation officials confirm the 12 747-200/-300s are being inspected. The checks were triggered by the latest incident, in which a 1.5 x 0.6m (4.9 x 1.9ft) hole was punched in the rear fuselage of a 747-200F freighter (HL7441, built in 1971) by a detached section of trailing edge flap, as well as by last month's fatal crash at Stansted, UK, of a 747-200F. The flap incident occurred on 9 January at Penang, Malaysia, as the aircraft passed 1,000ft (300m) during its approach, says KAL.
Source: Flight International
