South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok has directed the transport ministry to conduct an urgent safety review of the nation’s airline operation system, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday (December 30).
Choi made the statement during a disaster control meeting in Seoul, following Sunday’s tragic Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport, which killed 179 people, making it the deadliest air disaster in South Korea’s history.
“We will transparently disclose the progress of the investigation into the accident, even before the final results are released, and keep the bereaved families informed,” Choi said.
Pilot Declared Mayday
Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said that a Boeing 737-800 operated by the low-cost carrier was warned of a potential bird strike by the control tower during its initial landing attempt at Muan Airport. Shortly after, the pilot issued a “mayday” call and attempted a second landing. Footage showed the aircraft attempting a belly landing with its landing gear still retracted.
Joo Jong-wan confirmed that both black boxes—the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder—have been recovered. Government experts will examine the black boxes, but decoding the flight data may take up to a month due to damage caused in the crash.
What Caused The Crash?
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied bird strike as the cause of the crash.
“Currently, the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and we must wait for the official investigation by government agencies,” Kim said in a Sunday statement.
Jeju Air’s head of the management support office Song Kyung-hoon dismissed claims that mechanical faults or insufficient safety preparations contributed to the crash.
“This crash is not about any maintenance issues. There can be absolutely no compromise when it comes to maintaining aircraft,” Song said.
Federal Probe
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist South Korea’s aviation authority in probing the Jeju Air crash in Muan, according to Reuters. Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer, and the Federal Aviation Administration are also involved, the NTSB confirmed on Sunday.
