Police in South Korea have raided Muan international airport, the scene of Sunday’s plane crash, in which 179 people died, as well as the office of the airline that operated the flight, media reports said.
Jeju Air flight 2216 was carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed on the runaway, before crashing into a barrier and bursting into flames. Two flight attendants survived the crash, the worst aviation disaster on the country’s soil.
The aftermath of the crash now appears to include police involvement, with media reporting that officers had also raided a third location, the office of a regional aviation office, on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.
“In relation to the plane accident that occurred on December 29, a search and seizure operation is being conducted from 9am on January 2 at three locations,” including Muan airport, the Jeju Air office in Seoul, plus a regional aviation office, police said in a statement. “The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles.”
Investigators planned to seize documents and materials related to the operation and maintenance of the aircraft as well as the operation of airport facilities, a police official told Reuters.
An official said police had banned the Jeju Air chief executive, Kim E-bae, and another unidentified official from leaving the country, calling them key witnesses who potentially face charges of causing deaths by negligence, which is punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (£10,950).
Pressure is building on authorities to establish the cause of the crash, which occurred after the Boeing 737-800’s landing gear apparently failed to deploy as it came in to land at Muan, in the country’s south-west, on Sunday morning.
Inspectors have retrieved both black boxes from the charred remains of the aircraft and are working to decode data from the cockpit voice recorder.
The plane’s flight data recorder, however, is to be transferred to the US for analysis after local officials said they were unable to extract data from the device, which had been damaged in the crash.
The government ordered an emergency safety inspection of South Korea’s entire aviation operations, while separate checks, focusing on the landing gear, are being carried out on all 101 Boeing 737-800s used by six of the country’s airlines.
The interim president, Choi Sang-mok, said “immediate action” must be taken if the inspections uncovered any irregularities with the aircraft.
“As there is great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the transport ministry and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance, education and training,” Choi said on Thursday. If any issues are found during the inspection, please take immediate corrective action.”
The investigation has yet to determine why the landing gear appeared to fail, with a bird strike and mechanical failure among the possible causes.
It is also focusing on a concrete barrier near the end of the runway, the location of which has drawn criticism from aviation experts. The passengers are thought to have died when the plane smashed into the barrier at high speed, burst into flames and broke apart.
Relatives of the victims, who include five children aged under 10 and nine members of the same family, were allowed to visit the site on Wednesday for the first time since the crash.
They placed tteokguk – rice-cake soup traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day – and cried as they said goodbye to their loved ones.
Hundreds of people waited patiently to pay their respects at a nearby memorial altar set up to honour the victims, forming a queue that stretched for several hundred metres. Other altars have been set up across the country.
