SEOUL, South Korea — A group of U.S. investigators, which includes representatives from Boeing, conducted an on-site examination on Tuesday at the scene of a tragic plane crash in South Korea that claimed the lives of 179 individuals. Meanwhile, local authorities are conducting safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft being operated by the nation’s airlines.
The Boeing 737-800, operated by Jeju Air, a budget airline, was involved in a crash on Sunday that resulted in the deaths of all but two of the 181 people on board. Eyewitness footage revealed that the aircraft crash-landed on its belly, without its landing gear deployed, overshooting the runway at Muan International Airport in the southern region of South Korea. The plane subsequently collided with a concrete fence, leading to a significant fire.
Initial reports suggest that the airplane was experiencing engine issues, and the pilots received warnings of a potential bird strike from ground control, which prompted a distress signal. However, many aviation experts believe that the primary factor leading to the crash was the malfunctioning landing gear.
In response to the incident, the South Korean government initiated safety inspections across all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft within the country. The Ministry of Transport stated that these inspections, focused on maintenance and operational records, are set to continue for five days, concluding on Friday.
On Tuesday, a delegation consisting of eight U.S. officials, including representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, and Boeing, visited the crash site. The findings from their evaluation have not yet been disclosed.
Jeju Air’s president, Kim E-bae, informed reporters that the airline would increase the number of maintenance personnel and reduce its flight operations by 10-15% until March to improve overall safety standards.
Aviation expert John Hansman from MIT suggested that the crash likely stemmed from complications in the aircraft’s hydraulic control systems. He indicated that this could explain the failure to deploy the landing gear and wing flaps, reinforcing the urgency for the pilots to land the airplane.
The Boeing 737-800 model, known for its extensive use and generally positive safety record, is considered an earlier version than the 737 Max. Najmedin Meshkati, an engineering professor at the University of Southern California and an aviation safety researcher, pointed out that failures within the systems responsible for transmitting location data, as well as extending the landing gear and wing flaps, could denote a widespread malfunction affecting the plane’s hydraulic and electrical systems. He expressed confidence that the analysis of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders would reveal critical information regarding the accident.
“The analysis of these data is fundamental for understanding the factors leading to the incident and reconstructing what happened,” Meshkati explained. Additionally, he raised concerns regarding the presence of a solid wall located a few hundred feet beyond the runway’s end, suggesting that planes frequently overshooting runways warrants the need for more forgiving structures. “Having such a formidable concrete barrier in close proximity was indeed unfortunate for this particular aircraft,” he noted.
In light of the crash, South Korean officials have committed to reviewing whether the localizer at Muan Airport, which is equipped with antennas to guide landing aircraft, should feature less sturdy materials that would yield more easily on impact.
This event marks the most catastrophic aviation incident in South Korea for decades, prompting a national week of mourning that will last until January 4.
As of Tuesday, the Transport Ministry has confirmed the identification of 175 bodies, with DNA tests currently underway for the remaining five victims. Family members of those lost have expressed their distress over the condition of the bodies, which were reportedly too damaged to be returned quickly.
On Tuesday, Park Han Shin, a spokesperson for the victims’ families, criticized the government for its failure to provide freezer facilities as promised, voicing concerns over potential decomposition. “The dignity of the victims has been grievously undermined. We hold the authorities accountable for failing to uphold their commitments,” Park asserted.
