Crashed cargo pilots bodies recovered

THE two missing pilots of an Asiana Airlines 747 freighter, which crashed in the East China Sea off of South Korea on 28 July, have been found dead.

The bodies of 52-year-old Choi Sang-ki and Lee Jung-woong, 43, were discovered near Jeju Island in South Korea.

Controversy surrounded the crash, as Sang-ki had purchased seven life and non-life insurance policies totalling US$2.8 million between 28 June and 18 July. Ten days later the aircraft went down. News reports claim he was heavily indebted and may have embarked on an insurance scam, something his family denies.

The freighter was carrying 400kg of cargo, including lithium batteries, which have previously been suspected of bursting into flames while in aircraft cargo holds.