South Korea intensified its investigations into the cause of South Korea’s deadliest domestic aviation accident on Tuesday as police scrambled for victims and families of those who died in this week’s crash of a Jeju Air plane demanded more details.
The Boeing 737-801, carrying 175 passengers plus four crew members, skidded off the end runway at Muan Airport on Sunday. It exploded into a fireball and slammed against an embankment containing the navigation equipment.
The airport’s operating guide, which was uploaded in early 2024, stated that the embankment is too close to the runway end and recommended that equipment placement be reviewed as part of a planned expansion. A spokesperson for the transport ministry said that authorities would need first to check the document in question before they could answer any questions.
Choi Sang-mok (Acting President of South Korea) ordered an urgent safety inspection Monday of the entire airline operation in the country. The frustration of families waiting for the bodies to be released at the airport grew on Tuesday.
Park Han-shin a bereaved relative said the bodies were being prepared to transfer to funeral homes. However, the process could take some time. She urged other relatives to remain patient.
The National Police Agency has announced that it is making every effort to speed up the identification of five bodies that are still unknown by increasing personnel and equipment, such as rapid DNA analysers.
The transport ministry informed briefings that the data retrieval from the cockpit voice recording has begun. A “black box” data recorder recovered at the crash site lacked a connector, and authorities were examining how to extract the data.
In a statement, it was announced that all 101 B737-801s operated South Korean airlines would be inspected by Jan. 3 but the airport will remain closed until January 7.
The investigations have been joined by representatives of the US National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing. In a release, the NTSB announced that it sent three investigators for assistance, some of which were specialized in operational factors or airworthiness.
Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the committee, said that in an interview:
“If we need to send more specialists, we will do so.”
Fire and transport officials say that crash investigators will consider factors such as bird strike and a disabled control system on the aircraft, to the apparent rush by the pilots to attempt an emergency landing so soon after declaring it.
Officials also face pointed questions regarding airport design features. Specifically, the large dirt-and concrete embankment near to the end runway that is used for navigational equipment. The plane slammed at high speed into the embankment and erupted in a fireball. Bodies and body pieces were thrown in the surrounding fields, and most of aircraft disintegrated into flames.
“Unfortunately that thing was responsible for everyone getting killed because they literally hit a cement structure,” Captain Ross Aimer, chief executive of Aero Consulting Experts told Reuters.
“It shouldn’t have been there.”
Transport Ministry officials stated that most South Korean Airports were built in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s rules which recommend a 240m (262 yard) safety area at the end of the runway.
A domestic law allows for the adjustment of certain installations within a range of “significantly affecting the performance of the facility”.
Kim Hong-rak said at a briefing that he would look into any conflicting regulations and conduct a review of airport safety standards. Kim added that the US Federal Aviation Authority uses a different set of standards.
Airport Operations Manual at Muan International Airport said that the “localisers”, or navigation equipment, was installed too close the end of the runway. This is only 199 meters (218 yards) away from the crash site.
The document, prepared and uploaded by Korea Airports Corp, stated that the airport authority “should review securing additional space during phase two of Muan’s expansion”.
South Korean officials had previously stated that the structure was approximately 250 m (273 yard) from the runway itself. However, a paved area extends beyond this.
John Cox (CEO of Safety Operating Systems) and a former pilot of a Boeing 737 said that the runway design did not “absolutely” meet industry standards. They also prohibit any hard structures like a berm at least 300 meters (330 yards), from the end of runway.
Cox stated that the video showed the plane in control and appearing to be slowing down as it left the runway.
“When the plane hits that berm it becomes a tragedy.”
