There is ambiguity with passenger count. The official IACO report lists a total of 269 people on board consisting of 240 passengers, 3 cockpit crew, 20 cabin crew and 6 deadheaders (Korean Airlines employees being reassigned). However on the Flight release sheet and Weight and balance manifest it clearly shows 1 first class (Larry McDonald), 12 Business class (C) and 225 Economy class (Y) making a total of 238 passengers.
There is no mention of crew count on either Weight and Balance Manifest or Flight release sheet making it questionable what the crew count and number of dead headers were.
Michel Brun in his book “Incident at Sakhalin states the weight and balance manifest shows there was 225 passengers and 19 crew for a total of 244. I am unsure how he arrives at these numbers.
Allardyce states in his book “Desired track” 228 economy and 12 first class passengers
There is also an unconfirmed report Dr. Gilbert Millet’s 1989 letter challenging gaps in the IACO findings stating that there was a total of 240 on board.
170lbs per passenger + 70lbs baggage = 240lbs per passenger. Total (238) passenger payload = 57,120lbs. Payload with 269 passengers and crew is 64,560lbs. There are no other “payloads” listed in the payload section other than a cancelled paying 1800lbs load so how does Captain Chun arrive at a payload of 87,767Lbs? Was this extra fuel?
Passenger manifest is dated Aug 30, 4 people disembarked
How many were actually onboard?