A deadly crash involving Jeju Air last month has left the world in shock. The Boeing 737-800 crashed in South Korea on December 29, killing 179 of the 181 people on board. While a preliminary report has confirmed bird strikes in the plane’s engines, the exact cause of the disaster remains unclear. The investigation is still ongoing.
Bird strikes found in both engines
The South Korean report released on Monday revealed troubling findings: both engines of the aircraft contained bird remains. Bloodstains and feathers were discovered, and DNA analysis confirmed that the birds were Baikal Teals, a migratory duck species that flies to South Korea for the winter.
Investigators are still piecing together the puzzle. The black box stopped recording just four minutes before the crash, and no clear conclusion has been made regarding why the landing gear failed to deploy or why the data recorders stopped working.
Distress signal and crash details
The flight, which originated in Thailand, was approaching Muan International Airport when the bird strike occurred. Air traffic controllers warned the pilots about the potential for bird strikes two minutes before the plane’s distress signal was sent. At that point, the pilots tried to execute an emergency landing.
Unfortunately, the situation worsened. The plane skidded off the runway, hit a concrete structure, and burst into flames. The crash happened just 2 km from the runway and only 152 meters above the ground.
Concerns about airport infrastructure
The report also raised serious concerns about Muan International Airport’s infrastructure. The plane collided with a concrete barrier at the end of the runway, which experts say may have worsened the crash. The structure should have been designed with breakable materials to minimize damage in the event of a crash. As a result, South Korean authorities have decided to replace these concrete barriers with lighter, breakable structures at airports nationwide.
Questions about the plane’s final moments
As the plane descended, both voice and data recording systems failed. Seconds later, the pilots declared a Mayday call and attempted a belly landing. Tragically, both the captain and the first officer, with more than 6,800 and 1,650 flight hours respectively, lost their lives. The two survivors were flight attendants.
Investigation continues
This tragedy has raised many questions. While bird strikes are known to pose risks to aviation, the failure of the plane’s landing gear and the stop in the black box recording remain key mysteries. South Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board has shared the report with international agencies, including ICAO, the United States, and France. The investigation is still underway, and the final conclusions could take up to 12 months to reveal.
In the meantime, the public remains anxious for answers. The full investigation could shed light on what went wrong and prevent future tragedies like this one.
