South Korean law enforcement authorities on Thursday raided Muan International Airport and Jeju Air's Seoul office in connection with the deadliest plane crash in the country's history. kill On Sunday, there were 179 people.
Police authorities also raided the office of the Busan Regional Civil Aviation Administration in Muan, where the crash occurred, and investigated the final moments of the flight and why Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashed after arriving in Muan from Thailand. We have confirmed that we have asked for information regarding further details that may help explain the situation. It appears that the plane was unable to properly launch its landing gear, ended up lying on its stomach on the runway, and crashed into a concrete wall at high speed.
The incident occurred early Sunday morning. Initial reports suggested that the pilot attempted to deploy the landing gear on arrival, but a bird struck the plane shortly before landing, which may have prevented him from descending in time. The plane crashed into the ground at high speed and exploded upon hitting a wall, leaving only two survivors of the 181 people on board. Cameras at the airport captured the harrowing final moments of the flight.
image The pilot's voice in the final moments of the flight indicated that he was desperately trying to control the plane through the overhead controls.
As of this writing, authorities are still looking for evidence of a bird strike, searching for signs of mechanical failure in the burned-out plane wreckage, searching for human remains and identifying all passengers. There is. Aviation experts have raised many questions about the disaster, but South Korean authorities have not yet answered them.
“Why didn't the fire engines spray foam on the runway? Why weren't they present when the plane landed? And why did the plane land so far below the runway? And why was there a brick wall at the end of the runway?'' Airline News Editor Jeffrey Thomas asked on sunday.
Thursday's raid targeted airport staff, airlines responsible for maintaining aircraft, and local aviation personnel. According to South Korean media reports, police officials vowed to “thoroughly investigate the exact cause of the accident and identify those responsible in strict accordance with law and principles.” Korea JoongAng Ilbo. The newspaper reported that law enforcement had assembled a team of 264 investigators to focus on the accident.
“Police have secured relevant data to investigate the adequacy of the runway structure around the accident site, including localizers and the possibility of bird strikes,” the paper said. Maintenance history of crashes and aircraft involved in accidents. ”
South Korea's Yonhap News reported. reported He argued that the police raid was lawful based on a search warrant issued on the grounds of “duty-related negligence resulting in death.” The report does not say who, if any, is facing criminal charges, but airline executives and airport managers are likely targets of the investigation. .
The accident occurred during a period of political turmoil in South Korea, when three different presidents were elected in one month. President Yoon Seok-yeol was impeached in December after a failed attempt to impose martial law on the country, which he claimed was necessary in the face of left-wing obstruction of conservative policies in the National Assembly. The left-wing Democratic Party, which has a majority in the National Assembly, also impeached acting President Han Do-soo in the last week of December, accusing him of obstructing the impeachment proceedings against Yun. Choi Sang-mok, who is serving as president during Yoon's impeachment proceedings, took control of the country two days before the plane crash.
Choi announced on Monday an emergency review of South Korea's entire air travel system following the crash. South Korea's Ministry of Transport said it is placing special emphasis on inspecting the Boeing 737-800 involved in the accident and will ensure a thorough inspection of all planes of the type operated by South Korean airlines.
Initial reports said Muan Airport sent a message to the plane indicating a bird strike just before the pilot responded with an emergency call and abruptly canceled the first landing attempt. He attempted a second landing without using the landing gear, slamming the plane's belly into the ground, but the ensuing disaster ended in disaster.
South Korean government says bird strikes are 'very likely' to occur at Muan Airport, which is surrounded by six different migratory bird habitats Dong-A Ilbo. newspaper obtained Documents from Thursday's meeting on possible bird strike emergency
“During last year's conference, aviation experts reportedly noted that airports had fewer staff and equipment to deal with more bird strikes than in previous years.” Toa Reported. “It has also been revealed that Jeju Air was also scheduled to attend the meeting, but was absent.”
The newspaper reported that a meeting on the issue was held on Dec. 19, and airport officials complained that they did not have enough personnel to deal with potential bird problems throughout the airport grounds.
“The significant reduction in bird control capacity was also mentioned at the meeting,” it added.
Some have questioned the theory that a bird strike could cause such a disaster, and have suggested that mechanical failure could be the culprit. The day after the crash, another Boeing 737-800 failed to deploy its landing gear while departing from Gimpo International Airport, north of Muan city. The incident ended without any casualties as the plane returned home after reporting a landing gear failure.
“It is unlikely that a bird strike prevented the landing gear from deploying,” said Robert Clifford, an American aviation lawyer who is leading several lawsuits against Boeing over the malfunction around the world. said of Korea Herald on tuesday.
“It appears that this plane experienced a mechanical problem. …Evaluation of the digital flight data and cockpit recorder is essential to knowing exactly what happened,” he said.
“That shouldn't happen with Bird Strike. If there was a defect in the hydraulic system, it would be a big problem not only for Korea but for the aviation industry around the world,” Clifford said. “We continue to point out the strike issue.” The incident “was standard practice for the company's public relations team to shift its focus away from Boeing.”
