After the accident which left 179 dead in Muan, South Korea announced, Wednesday 1is January, that the comprehensive inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by airlines in the country carried ” mostly “ on the landing gears.
Current exams “focus mainly on the landing gear, which did not deploy correctly in this case”said Director General for Aviation Safety Policy Yoo Kyeong-soo.
The South Korean low-cost carrier's plane was carrying a total of 181 people, including six crew members. Only two people, a hostess and a steward, survived, making this accident the worst air disaster in history on South Korean soil. South Korean and American investigators, notably from Boeing, are combing the site of the accident which occurred Sunday morning at Muan airport (Southwest).
As it is impossible to extract on site the information contained in “the damaged flight data recorder, it was decided today to transport it to the United States for collaborative analysis” with American investigators, said the vice minister in charge of South Korean aviation, Joo Jong-wan.
A few hours earlier, he had announced that the investigators deployed on site had extracted the first data from the other black box, the one containing the conversations in the cockpit. Its study should make it possible to listen to the latest exchanges between the pilots.
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Airport architecture criticized
On Sunday morning, this Boeing from the South Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air, coming from Bangkok, landed on its belly in Muan, hitting a concrete wall at the end of the runway. Under the weight of the impact, the plane bent in two and caught fire.
The possibility of a collision with birds was also mentioned to explain the tragedy. The control tower at Muan airport had sent a warning to this effect to the crew three minutes before the crash. The pilot had, for his part, issued a distress message before the emergency landing.
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Jet engines can lose power or even stop altogether after sucking in a bird. Critics, however, focus on the architecture of the airport, in particular on the presence of the solid obstacle struck by the plane, which is a guidance aid tool present at other airports in the country.
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The question of a hardware malfunction was also raised, with local media reporting that the landing gear deployed correctly when the pilot attempted to land the first time but did not extend on his second. essay.
Videos show the plane making an emergency landing with the landing gear retracted and the flaps not extended. The question “will probably be examined (…) with a complete review of the various testimonies and evidence »explained the Ministry of Territorial Planning, which supervises civil aviation.
Victim identification completed
At Muan airport, bereaved families are increasingly frustrated by the slow process of handing over remains. The bodies were badly damaged by the accident, making identification work extremely difficult, as investigators struggle to preserve clues at the crash site.
The new interim president, Choi Sang-mok, who took office last week, announced on Wednesday that “during the night, the process of identifying the 179 victims [avait] been completed ». “Our investigators, along with the National Transportation Safety Board and the manufacturer, are conducting a joint investigation”Mr. Choi said on Wednesday during a meeting on disaster management.
“A comprehensive analysis and review of the aircraft structure and data [des boîtes noires] will reveal the cause of the accident »he said. The first investigations carried out on site focused on the locator, this landing assistance system present at other airports in the country and which, in Muan, was installed on the concrete wall in question.
The plane was mainly carrying tourists returning from a stay in Thailand. With the exception of two Thais, all the passengers were of Korean nationality. Altars in memory of the victims have been erected across the country, including in Seoul and at Muan Airport.
