One Asiana pilot said to have 7 insurance policies

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One Asiana pilot said to have 7 insurance policies

Published: 31 Jul. 2011, 21:38

추락한 아시아나 화물기 잔해 [연합뉴스]

New details about one of the pilots of the Asiana cargo plane that crashed into the sea off Jeju Island last week have raised questions of whether the Boeing 747 was brought down intentionally.

Insurance industry sources say that one of the two pilots - though not identifying which - was found to have taken out seven property and life insurance policies a month before the July 28 crash.

The insurance payout from the pilot’s death is expected to amount to around 3 billion won ($2.84 million).

With rumors flying that the accident may have been a suicide, Asiana Airlines - the country’s second-largest carrier - remained tight-lipped over the weekend.

According to a source at Asiana Airlines yesterday who wished to remain anonymous, the airline has no control or knowledge of the personal insurance policies of its employees.

The Asiana source added that it is not unusual for pilots to take out several policies because of the dangerous nature of their occupation.

But sources in the insurance industry say that the high salaries of pilots would appear to rule out the possibility that financial need would be behind a suicide.

Pilots make roughly 200 million won in a year, and industry sources have said it would be “crazy” to crash a plane worth 250 billion won, not to mention risking the lives of both pilots.

Insurance companies are currently looking into the accident, though the payout is expected to be given without any major holdups, industry sources said.

On Saturday, a large-scale search was conducted by two naval ships, five security vessels, three helicopters and eight vessels from the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration.

An underwater search is also underway for the plane’s missing black box and voice recorder, which are expected to solve the mystery of the plane crash.

The recovery and investigation have been hampered by the muddy sea floor and depths of around 70 to 80 meters.

Nearly 900 pieces of debris from the plane have so far been recovered from the waters off of Jeju Island.

The recovered pieces are now under examination by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs after they were handed over from the Coast Guard last Friday.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is also participating in the investigation to determine the cause of the fire that led to the crash of the Asiana airplane.

By Christine Kim [christine.kim@joongang.co.kr]

한글 관련 기사 [중앙일보]

추락 아시아나기 기장, 한달 새 30억 보험 미스터리

6~7월 5개 상해보험 들어

지난달 28일 추락한 아시아나항공 화물기 조종사가 최근 한 달 새 30억원대 보험에 가입한 것으로 확인됐다. 31일 금융 당국과 보험업계에 따르면 제주 인근 해상에 추락한 B747 화물기 기장 A씨는 지난 6월 27일부터 7월 18일까지 5개 손해보험사와 잇따라 상해보험 계약을 했다.

6월 27일 현대해상에 상해 사망 5억원, 업무 중 사망 2억원 등 모두 7억원을 보장받는 상해보험을 들었고, 7월엔 삼성화재·LIG손보·동부화재·흥국화재 등에서 사망 시 5억~6억원을 받는 보험에 가입했다. 이들 보험은 실제 입은 손해만 보상하는 실손형이어서 같은 금액을 보장하는 종신보험에 비해 보험료가 저렴하다. 대신 여러 보험사에 중복 가입해도 수술·입원비 등 손해액 이상은 보상받진 못한다. 손해액이 500만원이고 서로 다른 보험사에 똑같은 보험을 각각 들었다면 각 보험사로부터 250만원씩을 나눠 받는 식이다.

하지만 사망의 경우는 다르다. 당초 계약한 사망보험금을 회사별로 모두 받게 된다. “사망 때의 손해액을 특정할 수 없기 때문”이라는 게 손보업계의 설명이다. 이에 따라 이번 사고로 A씨의 사망이 확인될 경우 가족이 받을 수 있는 보장금액은 모두 30억원에 이르는 것으로 전해졌다.

　 국토해양부 관계자는 ＂사고 해역의 수심은 70m 정도로 깊지 않은데도 블랙박스 신호가 잡히지 않는다”고 말했다.