A recent report on the tragic Jeju Air crash in South Korea has shed light on crucial findings regarding the incident that claimed the lives of 179 individuals on board. The preliminary accident report, released by South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board, disclosed that the plane's flight data and cockpit voice recorders ceased recording approximately four minutes before the crash.
Following the discovery that some data was missing, South Korean officials sent the black boxes to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for further analysis. Despite this, the reason behind the sudden halt in recording remains unknown.
Additionally, the report highlighted the presence of bird strike evidence in both engines of the Boeing 737-800, with traces of feathers and bird blood stains found. Further investigation revealed that the samples belonged to Baikal teals, a type of migratory duck.
The fatal crash occurred on December 29, 2024, when the aircraft, returning from Bangkok, failed to deploy its landing gear upon arrival at Muan International Airport. Subsequently, the plane skidded off the runway, collided with a concrete structure, and erupted in flames, resulting in the loss of all but two lives on board.
Prior to the crash, air traffic controllers had alerted the pilots about potential bird strikes, with the pilots confirming a bird strike moments before issuing a distress signal and initiating an emergency landing. Security camera footage captured the aircraft encountering birds during an aborted landing attempt.
Looking ahead, authorities plan to dismantle the engines for detailed examination, analyze the black box and air traffic control data, and scrutinize the embankment, localizer, and bird strike evidence to ascertain the root cause of the tragedy. The report has been shared with international aviation bodies and relevant countries, emphasizing the collaborative effort in investigating the incident involving an aircraft manufactured in the U.S. with engines from France.
