Asiana cargo plane crashes in waters off Jeju Ilsand

An Asiana Airlines cargo plane carrying two crew members crashed Thursday into waters off Jeju Island, the airliner`s first accident since one of its passenger plane crashed in a hill in 1993.

Asiana and the Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Ministry said the Boeing 747 cargo jet crashed into waters 129 kilometers southwest from Jeju International Airport at 4:12 a.m.

The plane had departed from Incheon International Airport at 2:47 a.m. and headed for Shanghai. It crashed while flying to the Jeju airport for an emergency landing after a fire broke out in its cargo, according to Asiana.

Maritime patrol boats and helicopters searched for pilot Choi Sang-ki and co-pilot Lee Jeong-woong in waters where the plane crashed, but they remained missing.

The plane carried 58 tons of semiconductors, electronic and machine parts, and fabrics and 0.4 tons of flammable cargo such as lithium batteries, paints, amino acid and synthetic resins.

An Asiana source said, “All goods were loaded according to standards and procedures of the International Air Transport Association.”

Jeju maritime police reported a communications interruption with the plane at 4:28 a.m. and immediately dispatched five patrol boats and four helicopters to the scene of the crash. They collected more than 50 pieces of debris and fragments of the plane having an Asiana logo.