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Jeju Air black box analysis may take months: Transport Ministry

Published: 30 Dec. 2024, 13:57 Updated: 30 Dec. 2024, 14:42

A plane caught fire after it veered off the runway at Muan International Airport in south Jeolla on Dec. 29. [YONHAP]

The black box decoding process expected to shed light on the cause of Sunday’s tragic Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport, South Jeolla, may take more than a month.

Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said during a briefing at the Sejong Government Complex on Monday morning that both black boxes from Flight 7C2216 have been retrieved and transported to the test and analysis center at Gimpo International Airport.

“One of the two black boxes suffered external damage,” said Joo. “We plan to transport it to Gimpo Airport in the morning, where experts will examine the extent of the damage and determine how much data can be extracted.”

Aviation accident investigations typically take several months to years, with the initial decoding of the black boxes setting the direction for the entire investigation. As a result of the damage, the overall investigation process is expected to face inevitable delays.

"If it proves challenging to analyze the data domestically, we may have to send it to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)," said an Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board representative. "The NTSB has a backlog of cases from around the world, so it will take time."

A firefighter is seen searching for remains and debris in an airplane crash site at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29. [YONHAP]

"The NTSB is leading a team of U.S. investigators including Boeing and Federal Aviation Administration to assist the Republic of Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board with their investigation of the Dec. 29 Jeju Air accident at Muan International Airport in Muan," the NTSB said in a post on social media platform X.

The two black boxes retrieved from the crashed Jeju Air passenger plane are the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), both of which play critical roles in identifying the cause of aviation accidents.

The FDR was the recorder that suffered damage in the Sunday crash.

Rescuers operate at the site of an airplane crash at the Muan International Airport on Dec. 29. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

The FDR records and preserves the aircraft's three-dimensional flight path and the operational status of various components as digital, magnetic, or numerical signals. By analyzing the FDR, investigators can understand the aircraft’s altitude, speed, orientation, control movements, engine thrust, landing gear operations and the angle of the plane’s flaps during landing.

While the FDR provides data on the aircraft’s movements, the CVR gives insight into the internal situation on board.

The CVR records conversations among cockpit crew members, communications between crew and air traffic control, and various warning sounds in the cockpit. The CVR captures the final two hours of conversations before the engines shut down, while the FDR records the last 25 hours of flight data.

Firefighters search the site of a deadly plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 30. [YONHAP]

To minimize damage during a crash, both devices are usually installed in the aircraft’s tail section. In this accident, while the aircraft was burned to the extent that it was unrecognizable, the tail section remained relatively intact.

The two devices are designed to withstand temperatures of up to 1,100 degrees Celsius (2012 degrees Fahrenheit) for over an hour and endure impacts of up to 3,400G.

The Transport Ministry also said that it had recovered additional evidence, such as onboard flight logs, and has begun analyzing them.

Addressing the concrete embankment near the runway, which was criticized for worsening the extent of the accident, the Transport Ministry said that similar structures exist at other domestic airports.

A Jeju Air aircraft is set ablaze after colliding with a perimeter wall at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 29. [YONHAP]

“At Muan International Airport, an instrument landing system localizer is installed about 251 meters (0.15 miles) from the end of the runway safety area,” said Joo. “Similar concrete structures exist at airports like Yeosu and Cheongju.”

An instrument landing system localizer is a horizontal guidance system used to guide aircraft along the axis of the runway. The localizer of Muan International Airport consists of a concrete base two meters high with an antenna mounted on top.

Criticism has arisen that constructing such facilities with protruding concrete structures, rather than metal, is highly unusual and may violate domestic and international regulations. The Jeju Air plane reportedly struck the structure during landing, followed by a collision with a perimeter wall, splitting the aircraft in two and leading to the disaster.

“The installation of the instrument landing system is regulated and not arbitrary,” said Joo. “We plan to thoroughly investigate its connection to the accident.”

A Jeju Air plane is on fire after it veers off the runway at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Dec. 29. [NEWS1]

The plane was found to have landed on Runway 19 after making a 180-degree turn from Runway One, touching down about one-third of the way down the runway.

“The landing point is estimated to be about one-third of the way along Runway 19,” said a Transport Ministry official. “The plane landed at that point and overran the runway.”

The identities of 141 deceased victims of Sunday’s Jeju Air crash had been confirmed as of Monday morning, according to the Transport Ministry. According to the ministry, 141 of the 179 bodies had been identified as of 8:35 a.m.

The 38 others are being identified through DNA analysis and fingerprint collection by the prosecution and the National Forensic Service. The remains of identified victims will be transported to funeral halls after consultation with their families.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]