Plane crash in South Korea: Investigators plan to examine flight data recorders
The wreckage of a Boeing 737-800 from Jeju Air at Muan Airport (photo: wikipedia.org)
Investigators plan to examine the tail and landing gear of the aircraft at the crash site of the passenger jet in Muan, Republic of Korea. They will also retrieve and analyze the flight data recorder of the plane, reports Reuters.
The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Korea stated that investigators expect to receive a complete analysis of the flight data recorder from the wreckage of the Boeing 737-800 jetliner operated by Jeju Air, which crashed last Sunday in South Korea.
The ministry added that investigators have located one of the two engines of the aircraft and plan to find the second. They also intend to examine the tail and landing gear of the plane at the crash site.
The ministry, which is conducting inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by South Korean airlines, plans to demand immediate corrective actions if any issues are found.
Photo: Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
Recently, GE Aerospace has joined the investigation into the crash. The aircraft's engines are produced by a joint venture, GE Aerospace CFM International, in partnership with Safran (SAF.PA).
Videos shared on social media show smoke emanating from the right engine of the aircraft just before the crash.
The Ministry of Transport stated it would inspect the engines, maintenance records, and landing gear of all Jeju Air 737-800 aircraft. Serious violations could lead to the suspension of the airline's operations.
Among the questions investigators have yet to answer are why the aircraft's landing gear was not deployed and what prompted the pilot to make a second attempt at landing after reporting a bird strike and declaring an emergency to air traffic control.
Plane crash in South Korea
On December 29, a passenger Boeing 737-800 crashed at the airport in the South Korean city of Muan.
The aircraft was on a flight from Bangkok, and most of the passengers were citizens of the Republic of Korea.
According to preliminary findings from the investigation, the aircraft collided with birds in the air. This caused damage to the hydraulic systems, and during landing, the plane was unable to deploy its landing gear.
The pilots landed the plane on its fuselage, but it skidded off the runway and collided with a protective barrier wall.
The crash resulted in the deaths of 179 people, with only two survivors.
The South Korean authorities will inspect the entire aviation transportation system in the country.
For more details about the crash, read our article.
