In relation to the crash of the Marineon (MUH-1) utility helicopter in 2018, which resulted in the death of five individuals, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) has been ordered by the court to compensate the state over 1.4 billion won. This first-instance verdict came after the state filed a lawsuit against KAI for damages.
According to the legal community on Feb. 19, the 45th Civil Division of the Seoul Central District Court ruled on Feb. 7 that “KAI shall compensate the state 1.43 billion won [US$1.07 million],” granting a partial victory to the plaintiff.
The court stated, “KAI was under an obligation to deliver defect-free Marineon helicopters as per the contract. However, defects such as cracks inside the rotor mast (the component that transfers engine power to the helicopter’s rotor) existed,” attributing these defects to the intentional or negligent actions of the component manufacturer, a subcontractor of KAI.
The court concluded that “KAI is liable for damages to the state under civil law, given that it delivered helicopters with defective rotor masts, leading to the accident.”
The compensation of over 1.4 billion won was determined by summing up the death compensation, the cost of fire-extinguishing foam used, and the expenses for repairing damage to the runway.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration had signed an initial mass production contract with KAI in 2016 for the purchase of 28 Marineon helicopters at a cost of 632.8 billion won. The Marine Corps’ 1st Aviation Battalion received the second Marineon helicopter in December 2017.
However, in July 2018, a helicopter crashed from a height of 13.7 meters, leading to the deaths of five out of the six occupants.
Subsequent investigations by a joint civilian-military-government committee identified the helicopter’s rotor mast as the cause of the accident. In 2021, the state filed a lawsuit against KAI for damages.