South Korea’s transport ministry reported that the black boxes containing flight data and cockpit voice recordings from the tragic Jeju Air crash stopped recording just four minutes before the disaster.
This incident, which occurred on December 29, 2024, involved a Boeing 737-800 that was flying from Thailand to Muan International Airport, carrying 181 passengers and crew members.
The aircraft belly-landed and exploded upon hitting a concrete barrier, resulting in the deaths of 179 individuals, marking it as the worst aviation disaster in South Korean history.
The ministry revealed that data from both the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) was absent during the crucial moments leading up to the crash.
The localiser, a runway barrier, has been identified as a factor that worsened the severity of the incident.
The flight data recorder was deemed unrecoverable by South Korean authorities, who have since sent it to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for analysis.
Unfortunately, it appears that significant data loss occurred, complicating the investigation into the crash’s causes. The ministry stated that plans are underway to investigate the circumstances surrounding this data loss as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Investigators from South Korea and the U.S. are actively examining potential causes for the crash, which has spurred national mourning and memorials across the country.
Possible factors being considered include a bird strike, faulty landing gear, and the runway barrier.
Prior to the crash, the pilot reported a bird strike on an initial landing attempt but crashed during a second attempt when the landing gear failed to deploy.
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This week, investigators confirmed that feathers were found in one of the recovered engines, although they cautioned that a bird strike does not necessarily lead to immediate engine failure.
Authorities have conducted raids at Muan airport, regional aviation offices, and Jeju Air’s headquarters in Seoul.
Additionally, the chief executive of Jeju Air has been barred from leaving the country.
In response to the tragedy, a joint task force has been established to investigate the crash further.
Transport Minister Park Sang-woo, feeling a deep sense of responsibility, has offered his resignation amid the ongoing scrutiny of aviation safety in the country.
