Chinese and South Korean aviation experts launched an all-out investigation Tuesday into the causes of an Air China passenger plane crash that killed at least 119 people on Monday.

The investigation followed talks late Monday in Seoul between Republic of Korea (ROK) Construction and Transportation Minister Lim In-taik and Air China President Wang Kaiyuan, who was in charge of a 59-member Chinese rescue team sent to the crash site near the Kimhae International Airport.

"Chinese and South Korean investigators have arrived at the crash site for an intensive probe," a statement with Air China said Tuesday evening.

Wang visited wounded passengers at hospitals in Pusan Tuesday morning, promising to expedite compensation claims in accord with international practices.

Li Tianran, a counselor with the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, said that the two sides had yet to discuss compensation to the victims.

"Treatment of the injured and investigation into the cause of the crash are the two key tasks at present," said Xu Zeyou, another counselor with the Chinese Embassy.

However, passengers who had bought life insurance for 20 yuan (US$2.40) before boarding will be given a 200,000 yuan (US$24,096) compensation payment.

Sources with Chinese Embassy in Seoul said 2,000 Korean rescuers are still combing the crash site around the clock, searching for missing people in the wreckage of the Boeing 767-200.

Despite heavy rain, which has hampered rescue efforts, soldiers and police are still looking for signs of the nine people still missing.

According to the latest official figures, 119 people were killed, nine are still missing and 38 people, including the pilot and another 10 Chinese nationals, are in hospital.

Xu said that the 11 Chinese survivors were in serious but stable condition in local hospitals.

The death figure is sure to rise as the nine people listed as missing are all feared dead and some of the survivors are in critical condition, South Korean rescue officials said.

Sources with Air China said the company has invited the families of the Chinese victims to Beijing, and is expected to send them to Pusan this week.

The plane's captain Wu Xinlu is expected to become a major focus in the joint investigation.

Wu, 32, is in an intensive care unit in a Pusan hospital with injuries to his head and face, but doctors allowed him to see Chinese officials and briefly answer questions.

Wu said he was not aware of any mechanical problems with the jet prior to the disaster, according to a statement of the South Korean investigation group. "He testified he felt nothing unusual with the aircraft," said the statement.

Wu made the comment in his first interview with South Korean authorities in the hospital.

South Korea's Vice-Construction and Transportation Minister Choo Byung-jik suggested on Monday that the plane was blown off course by strong winds.

He said the airplane was to have landed at the airport but strong head winds blew it off its original course, and it crashed while turning around.

Officials with Air China refused to comment on the viewpoint, saying it is still too early to say what caused the crash.

About 30 Chinese aviation investigators went to the crash scene Tuesday morning. Sources with Air China confirmed the plane's flight data recorders had been recovered, and that they would be checked soon to ascertain the cause of the disaster.

The conversation between the airport control tower and pilots was also released after the accident, which revealed that the plane had received approval to land before it crashed.

It indicated that the tower told the pilot to land on one runway, while the plane was preparing to land on another. The ground air control department was also temporarily confused about the model of plane landing. They thought it was a Boeing 737, not a Boeing 767.

The conversation was cut off abruptly and flight CA129 disappeared from the radar screen.

(China Daily April 17, 2002)