South Korean police said Thursday they had raided Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport as part of the investigation into Sunday's crash, which killed 179 people in the country's worst air disaster.
Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, which departed from Thailand's capital Bangkok to Muan in southwestern South Korea, made a belly landing, overshooting the runway at a local airport, colliding with an embankment and bursting into flames.
Two crew members sitting in the back of the Boeing 737-800 were pulled out alive by rescue workers, but they sustained injuries.
Jeollanam Province Police said in a media statement that police investigators were searching the offices of the airport operator and the Ministry of Transport's aviation authority in the southwestern city of Muan, as well as Jeju Air's offices in Seoul.
Investigators plan to seize documents and materials related to the operation and maintenance of aircraft and the operation of airport facilities, a law enforcement official told Reuters.
A Jeju Air spokesperson said the airline was reviewing the situation. The airport operator could not be reached for comment.
Questions from aviation safety experts about the cause of the deadly explosion have focused on embankments designed to support navigational equipment, which they say are too rigid and too close to the edge of the runway. said.
“This rigid structure proved catastrophic in the event of an impact from a skidding aircraft,” said Najmeddin Meshkati, a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Engineering. “It's concerning that it was attached to such a terrifying concrete structure instead of being installed in the building,” he added. Installation of metal towers/pylons. ”
The investigation into the Jeju Air flight is ongoing, involving South Korean authorities, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
It is still unclear why the plane did not deploy its landing gear, and why the pilot apparently attempted a hasty second landing after calling air traffic control an emergency after receiving a bird strike.
The plane's flight data recorder was partially damaged and is being transported to the United States for analysis in cooperation with the NTSB.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok said the conversion of data from the cockpit voice recorder to audio files should be completed by Friday, which could provide vital information about the final moments of the doomed flight. He said that there is a sex.
Department of Transportation officials said Wednesday that the audio files may be difficult to release to the public because they are important to the ongoing investigation.
Choi told the disaster management meeting that if any problems are found during a special inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operating in the country, immediate action must be taken.
Choi said, “The public is concerned because the same model of aircraft caused an accident, and the Ministry of Transportation and related organizations must conduct a thorough inspection of operations, maintenance, and education and training.''
Choi's comments at the beginning of the meeting were relayed by his office.
Investigators from the NTSB, FAA and Boeing are in South Korea to assist in the investigation.
Choi urged all efforts to be made to help the families of the victims as their remains are handed over. He also called on police to take action against those posting “malicious” messages and fake news on social media related to the disaster.
