Date:	Thursday 27 July 1989
Time:	07:05
Type:	McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
Owner/operator:	Korean Air
Registration:	HL7328
MSN:	47887/125
Year of manufacture:	1973
Total airframe hrs:	49025 hours
Cycles:	11440 flights
Engine model:	General Electric CF6-50C2
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 74 / Occupants: 199
Other fatalities:	6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	2,4 km E of Tripoli International Airport (TIP) -   Libya
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED/OEJN)
Destination airport:	Tripoli International Airport (TIP/HLLT)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Korean Air flight 803, a DC-10-30, crashed while on approach to Tripoli Airport, Libya, killing 74 occupants and 6 persons on the ground; 124 survived the accident.

Flight KE803 departed Seoul, South Korea on a flight to Tripoli, Libya with intermediate stops at Bangkok, Thailand and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Weather was poor as the aircraft approached Tripoli. Visibility was varying between 100-800 feet and the runway 27 ILS had been reported unserviceable. On final approach to runway 27 the aircraft crashed short of the runway, striking 4 houses and a number of cars.

Probable Causes
1) Crew fatigue due to lack of proper sleep affecting their mental concentration on the operation of the aircraft and their performance led to:
a) Captain failed to make proper weather and NDB Approach Briefing.
b) The flight crew continued the approach in bad visibility below company and Jeppesen minima for NDB Approach and failed to follow the prescribed procedures.
c) The flight crew failed to grasp the actual visibility information given by the ACC as 50 meters.
d) F/O and F/E failed to follow the Captain’s instructions.
2) The available GPWS failed to maintain the warning while the aircraft still in dangerous situation in colliding with terrain.
3) Flight crew simulator training was conducted on an aircraft simulator differently equipped from the crashed aeroplane especially in the GPWS.

Flight International 26 August 1989 (p.9)
Flight International 12 August 1989 (p.9)
Aviation Week & Space Technology 7 August 1989 (p.77)

photo (c) via Werner Fischdick; Tokyo-Narita Airport (NRT); January 1987

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Apr-2025 16:45	ASN	Updated [Narrative, ]
27-Jun-2025 16:14	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ]
27-Jun-2025 16:47	ASN	Updated [Total fatalities, Narrative, ]
18-Aug-2025 13:06	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report, ]