Date:	Friday 23 December 1983
Time:	14:06
Type:	McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
Owner/operator:	Korean Air Lines - KAL
Registration:	HL7339
MSN:	46960/237
Year of manufacture:	1977
Engine model:	General Electric CF6-50C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Anchorage International Airport, AK (ANC) -   United States of America
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Anchorage International Airport, AK (ANC/PANC)
Destination airport:	Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
While taxiing out in fog, the KAL crew became disoriented and ended up on the wrong runway. During the takeoff run, the aircraft collided head-on with South Central Air Flight 59, a Piper PA-31 which was taking off from runway 06L-24R for a flight to Kenai. The 9 occupants of N35206 were injured. The DC-10 overran the runway by 1434 feet and came to rest 40 feet right of the extended centreline.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the pilot of Korean Air Lines Flight 084 to follow accepted procedures during taxi, which caused him to become disoriented while selecting the runway; the failure of the pilot to use the compass to confirm his position; and the decision of the pilot to take off when he was unsure that the aircraft was positioned on the correct runway. Contributing to the accident was the fog, which reduced visibility to a point that the pilot could not ascertain his position visually and the control tower personnel could not assist the pilot. Also contributing to the accident was a lack of legible taxiway and runway signs at several intersections passed by Flight 084 while it was taxiing."

Location of Commercial Aircraft Accidents/Incidents Relative to Runways / FAA, Office of Safety Oversight (DOT/FAA/AOV 90-1)
NTSB

photo (c) Kazuhiro Kobayashi; Tokyo-Narita Airport (NRT/RJAA); 01 September 1980

photo (c) via Werner Fischdick; Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG); May 1977

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