U.S. agencies, Boeing to join Jeju Air probe with Korea set to inspect all 737-800s

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U.S. agencies, Boeing to join Jeju Air probe with Korea set to inspect all 737-800s

Published: 30 Dec. 2024, 18:33 Updated: 30 Dec. 2024, 19:46

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The tail section of a Jeju Air airplane, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, remains crashed at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 30, a day after a fatal incident that killed 179 passengers and crew onboard. [YONHAP]

Korea's transportation authorities will be joined by U.S. safety inspectors and Boeing personnel in the investigation into the Jeju Air disaster in Muan, South Jeolla, that killed 179 on Sunday, while the country also plans to inspect every domestically operated plane of the same model as the aircraft in the crash.

Two officials from the National Transportation Safety Board were set to lead a U.S. inspection team comprising Boeing staff scheduled to arrive in Korea Monday night, along with officials from the Federal Aviation Administration coming at an unannounced date, to determine the exact cause of the fatal accident, assisting in analyzing the black boxes collected from the airplane.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Monday began analyzing the two recorders retrieved from the Boeing 737-800 narrow-body aircraft involved in the crash, which it said could take months to fully decode.

The two devices are the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which records and preserves the aircraft's three-dimensional flight path and operational status, and the Cockpit Voice Recorder, which records the conversations of cockpit crew members as well as communication between the crew and air traffic control. Both play critical roles in identifying the cause of aviation accidents.

The FDR, however, suffered partial damage during the crash, which has raised concerns about the ability to extract the data.

Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, speaks about the details about the airplane crash during a briefing at the Sejong Government Complex on Dec. 30. [MINISTRY OF LAND, INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT]

The ministry also said that it will launch a full inspection of the 101 Boeings 737-800s operating locally.

The emergency examination comes as another Jeju Air jet, also a 737, that took off for Jeju had to make a return to Gimpo International Airport after experiencing a landing gear malfunction.

“We are reviewing a plan for a comprehensive safety inspection of all 737-800 jets run by local carriers, such as their inspection and maintenance records,” said Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy at the Transport Ministry, during a briefing at the Sejong Government Complex on Monday.

“We will also take a close look at whether local airlines’ maintenance systems comply with policies.”

The 737-800, with a length of 39.47 meters (129.5 feet) and a maximum of 189 passenger seats, is the best-selling variant of the U.S. aircraft manufacturer's 737 model. With its narrow and thin body, the plane is designed for short- or medium-haul routes.

The airplane involved in the latest crash was made in November 2009, and Jeju Air had been operating it since February 2017. The airline currently operates 41 jets, 39 of which are 737-800 aircraft.

The model is particularly popular among low-cost budget carriers. T’way Air owns 27 units while Jin Air has 19, Easter Jet has 10, Air Incheon has four and Korean Air has two, according to data from the Transport Ministry.

A screen capture from a map app's street view feature of Muan International Airport that shows concrete on top of piles of dirt, topped with a localizer, which is suspected of contributing to the severity of the the Jeju Air airplane crash on Dec. 29. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The Korean government on Monday also vowed to conduct a thorough review of the potential relevance to the crash of a concrete barrier installed at the end of the runway.

Footage of the disaster shows the airplane descending without its landing gear deployed, skidding across the runway before crashing into a concrete embankment and exploding into flames, giving rise to suspicions that the barrier was a contributor to such a drastic fatality number of 179.

The concrete embankment elevated what in the aviation industry is known as a localizer, is a horizontal guidance device that helps aircraft land safely and is usually made of lighter material in a fence-like structure that enables airplanes to easily push them away upon contact. At Muan airport, the embankment likely worsened the shock of the impact.

“The localizer is installed about 251 meters from the end of the runway safety area at Muan International Airport, and the installation of the barrier is regulated and not arbitrary,” Joo said. “Similar concrete structures exist at airports like Yeosu and Cheongju.”

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]