Seoul, South Korea:

The black boxes holding the flight data and cockpit voice recorders for the crashed Jeju Air flight that left 179 people dead stopped recording four minutes before the disaster, South Korea’s transport ministry said Saturday.

The Boeing 737-800 was flying from Thailand to Muan, South Korea, on December 29 carrying 181 passengers and crew when it belly-landed at the Muan airport and exploded in a fireball after slamming into a concrete barrier.

“The analysis revealed that both the CVR and FDR data were not recorded during the four minutes leading up to the aircraft’s collision with the localiser,” the transport ministry said in a statement, referring to the two recording devices.

The localiser is a barrier at the end of the runway that helps with aircraft landings and was blamed for exacerbating the crash’s severity.

“Plans are in place to investigate the cause of the data loss during the ongoing accident investigation,” the statement added.

South Korean and US investigators are still probing the cause of the crash of Jeju Air flight 2216, which prompted a national outpouring of mourning with memorials set up across the country.

Investigators have pointed to a bird strike, faulty landing gear and the runway barrier as possible issues.

The pilot warned of a bird strike before pulling out of a first landing, then crashed on a second attempt when the landing gear did not emerge.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Muan:

South Korean police raided the offices of Jeju Air and the operator of Muan International Airport Thursday as they stepped up a probe into the fatal crash of a Boeing 737-800 that killed 179 people.

The flight was carrying 181 passengers and crew from Thailand to South Korea on Sunday when it issued a mayday call and belly-landed before slamming into a barrier, killing all aboard except two flight attendants.

Authorities on Thursday carried out search and seizure operations at Muan airport where flight 2216 crashed, a regional aviation office in the southwestern city, and Jeju Air’s office in the capital Seoul, police said.

Jeju Air’s chief executive Kim E-bae has also been banned from leaving the country as the investigation continues, police said separately. 

“The police plan to swiftly and rigorously determine the cause and responsibility for this accident in accordance with the law and principles,” police said in a statement sent to AFP.

At Muan airport Thursday, soldiers, police and white-suited investigators were still combing the crash site, as orange-robed monks held prayer ceremonies nearby. 

Inside the airport, the stairs were covered in colourful post-it notes left by mourners. 

“Honey, I miss you way too much,” one of them said.

“Even if you faced lonely and painful moments in death, may you now soar like a butterfly,” another read.

Relatives also left flowers and food near the crash site including tteokguk — rice cake soup traditionally enjoyed in South Korea on New Year’s Day — as they said their goodbyes, many in tears.

Star chefs featured in Netflix’s megahit cooking competition show “Culinary Class Wars”, including Ahn Yu-seong, joined volunteers in Muan this week to prepare meals for the victims’ families.

And people nationwide were remotely pre-paying for coffee at the airport’s cafe so that victims’ families, who have been camped out in the lounge since Sunday, waiting for news, could drink for free.

More bodies were released Thursday to families to prepare for funerals, the land ministry said.

Concrete barrier

Officials initially pointed to a bird strike as a possible cause of the crash, and have since said the probe was also examining the role of a concrete barrier at the end of the runway.

Dramatic video showed the plane colliding with it before bursting into flames.

Yonhap reported the Muan airport warrant was approved on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, citing officials.

“Police are securing evidence related to the legitimacy of the airport’s localizer,” Yonhap said, referring to the concrete wall at the end of the runway housing an antenna array.

They are also seeking communication records between the control tower and the pilot shortly before the plane crash, it added.

Airports nationwide were being inspected to check other similar localizers, the land ministry said in a statement.

Some experts have suggested that the disaster may have been less deadly if the installation not been concrete.

Boeing inspections

South Korea has also announced it will inspect all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by its carriers, focusing on the landing gear, which appears to have malfunctioned during the Sunday crash.

South Korea’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, said Thursday that “immediate action” must be taken if that probe uncovered any issues with the aircraft model.

Authorities have previously said 101 aircraft of the same model were in operation by six different airlines.

“As there’s great public concern about the same aircraft model involved in the accident, the transport ministry and relevant agencies must conduct a thorough inspection of operation maintenance, education, and training,” Choi said Thursday.

The accident is the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil.

South Korean authorities have completed the initial extraction of data for the cockpit voice recorder, but the flight data recorder was damaged and was to be sent to the United States for analysis, officials said Wednesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A South Korean Jeju Air passenger jet crashed on landing at Muan International Airport on Sunday, killing 179 people in the country’s deadliest air disaster.

The following are the final minutes of Flight 7C2216 as provided by South Korea’s transport ministry and fire authorities.

All times are Korea Standard Time (GMT+9).

8:54 am – Muan airport air traffic control authorises the aircraft to land on runway 01, which is orientated at 10 degrees east of north.

8:57 am – Air traffic control gives “caution – bird activity” advisory.

8:59 am – Flight 7C2216 pilot reports bird strike, declares emergency “Mayday Mayday Mayday” and “Bird strike, bird strike, go-around.”

9:00 am – Flight 7C2216 initiates a go-around and requests authorisation to land on runway 19, which is by approach from the opposite end of the airport’s single runway.

9:01 am – Air traffic control authorises landing on runway 19.

9:02 am – Flight 7C2216 makes contact with runway at about 1,200m (1,312 yard) point of the 2,800m (3,062 yard) runway.

9:02:34 am – Air traffic control alerts “crash bell” at airport fire rescue unit.

9:02:55 am – Airport fire rescue unit completes deploying fire rescue equipment.

9:03 am – Flight 7C2216 crashes into embankment after over-shooting the runway.

9:10 am – The Transport Ministry receives an accident report from airport authorities.

9:23 am – One male rescued and transported to a temporary medical facility.

9:38 am – Muan airport is closed.

9:50 am – Rescue completed of a second person from inside tail section of the plane.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Seoul:

The US aviation giant Boeing on Sunday extended its condolences to the families of victims killed in the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea’s Muan. A Boeing 737-800 aircraft, operated by Jeju Air, flying from Bangkok to South Korea with 181 people on board crashed on landing at Muan International Airport on Sunday, leaving all but two people plucked from the wreckage feared dead.

“We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding Flight 2216 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said in a statement posted to its X account.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew,” the company added. 

pic.twitter.com/TIrIUBw4RB

— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) December 29, 2024

The US aerospace company has seen a turbulent time in the past few years, with a series of embarrassing safety blunders. Boeing, earlier this year, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States for its role in two fatal 737 Max crashes. However, the Boeing 737-800 has been described reliable workhorse by experts, with the aircraft having an extremely strong safety record.

South Korea’s aviation industry has a solid safety record and the crash was the first fatal accident for Jeju Air. The crash is being dubbed as the worst civil aviation disaster in South Korea. 

What We Know Of The Crash So Far

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft was reportedly warned of a bird strike by the control tower during its first attempt at landing shortly after 9:00 am (midnight GMT). However, minutes later, the pilot issued a “mayday” warning, and it tried to land again, with a video showing it attempting a “belly landing” without its landing gear activated.

Dramatic video showed the plane skidding along the runway with smoke trailing out before it hit a wall at the end and burst into flames.

Investigations have been launched, but according to a report by AFP, officials suspect the accident could have been caused by a bird strike and adverse weather conditions.

Questions were also raised if the accident happened due to the runway being too short, as the video showed the plane coming off the tarmac and hitting a wall. But, an official told AFP that it was likely not a factor. “The runway is 2,800 metres long, and similar-sized aircraft have been operating on it without issues,” they said.

There were a total of 175 passengers and six crew members onboard. Rescue workers plucked out two survivors — both flight attendants — from the wreckage. As of mid-afternoon, 124 people have been confirmed dead.

Officials said there was “little chance of survival,” for others, adding that the plane was “almost completely destroyed,” during the crash.

Meanwhile, a rescue operation is underway with hundreds of firefighters and other emergency responders — including military — deployed to the area. 

The accident occurred with South Korea in the throes of a political crisis, with its third president in a month. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, on his third day in office, convened an emergency meeting with cabinet members to discuss the rescue operation and response and visited the crash scene. He also designated the site a special disaster zone.