Investigations into the crash of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 intensified on Tuesday, with police working to identify victims and grieving families seeking more information about South Korea’s deadliest domestic air disaster.
The National Police Agency has deployed additional personnel and rapid DNA analysers to expedite the identification process, with five bodies remaining unidentified as of Tuesday. Families of the victims gathered at Muan International Airport, the crash site, calling for faster updates from authorities.
The crash, which occurred during a belly landing, claimed the lives of all 175 passengers and four of the six crew members. The aircraft skidded off the runway and collided with a wall, erupting in flames. Two crew members survived and were pulled from the wreckage.
South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok has ordered an emergency safety inspection of the nation’s airlines as investigators search for the cause of the disaster. The Transportation Ministry confirmed that a recovered “Black Box” flight recorder was missing a key connector, and authorities are exploring ways to extract the data.
Inspectors are examining all 101 B737-800s operated by South Korean airlines, with inspections expected to conclude by 3 January. Muan International Airport will remain closed until 7 January.
Representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration, and Boeing have joined the investigation. The NTSB stated it has sent three investigators with expertise in operational factors and airworthiness, with the possibility of deploying more specialists if needed.
Investigators are considering various factors, including potential bird strikes, disabled aircraft control systems, and the pilots’ decision to attempt a landing shortly after declaring an emergency. Attention is also focused on a dirt-and-concrete embankment near the end of the runway, which supported navigation equipment.
The embankment, located approximately 250 metres from the runway’s end, has been criticised for not meeting international best practices.
“That thing was the reason that everybody got killed because they literally hit a concrete structure,” said Captain Ross “Rusty” Aimer, CEO of Aero Consulting Experts.
South Korea’s Transport Ministry stated that most of the country’s airports adhere to International Civil Aviation Organization guidelines recommending a 240-metre safety area at the runway’s end. However, domestic laws allow certain installations within ranges that should not “significantly affect” facility performance.
Kim Hong-rak, director general for airport and air navigation facilities policy, said the ministry would review its airport safety standards to address potential conflicts in regulations. US industry standards mandate a 300-metre safety area free from hard structures.
Satellite images suggest the airport’s concrete berm is less than half the required distance from the runway’s end. John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and a former 737 pilot, described the runway design as failing to meet best practices. He noted,
“The plane appeared to be slowing down and in control when it went off the runway. When it hits that berm is when it turns into tragedy.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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