3 days Ago By Mia Ping-Chieh Chen
The United States has sent investigators to help determine what caused the Jeju Air plane to crash-land at Muan International Airport and slam into a concrete barrier on Sunday. The crash, South Korea’s worst aviation disaster in decades, has claimed the lives of 179 people and left the nation reeling . As authorities rush to uncover the cause of the tragedy, experts from Boeing 's technical team, the US National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have arrived in South Korea to assist in the investigation.
Joint investigation into the crash The Aviation and Railway Accident Inquiry Board (ARAIB) in South Korea has launched an immediate inquiry into Jeju Air flight 7C2216 , and American specialists have joined the team to look into the plane's flight patterns, black box data, and other technical issues. The Boeing 737-800 , which was carrying 181 passengers and crew members, had aborted its first landing attempt in adverse weather conditions before attempting a second approach. During this second attempt, the plane experienced a bird strike warning and later issued a distress signal before crashing without its front landing gear deployed.
The aircraft overshot the runway, collided with a concrete barrier, and burst into flames. Boeing stock drops on Monday In a statement to Newsweek on Sunday, Boeing said that it had contacted Jeju Air and was "ready to support them." The statement said: "We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.
" Following the news on Monday morning, Boeing's stock dropped more than 4% in early trade, according to ABC News , before rising somewhat to stay down 2% at about $177.20 per share as of 3 pm ET. South Korean officials say they will undertake safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country's airlines, as they attempt to identify what caused a jet disaster that killed 179 people, the Associated Press reported .
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who is also the country’s finance minister, chaired a task force meeting on the incident Monday and gave the go-ahead for officials to perform an urgent examination of the nation's aviation operating systems. Muan Airport's concrete barrier and airport infrastructure under investigation Authorities are investigating the aircraft along with the role of Muan International Airport’s infrastructure in the crash. A concrete barrier, part of the localizer system designed to guide aircraft during landings, has come under scrutiny.
The structure did not give way upon impact, which may have intensified the severity of the crash. South Korean officials are exploring whether such barriers should be made from lighter materials that might break more easily in similar situations. Experts are now concerned about possible mechanical problems after seeing video footage from the accident scene.
One explanation is a hydraulic problem that may have stopped the landing gear and flaps from deploying during the plane's last descent, CBS News reported . The inquiry is closely examining this as well as a potential communication failure between the pilots and air traffic controllers during the go-around maneuver. Tragic loss of life Four of the six crew members and all 175 passengers were confirmed dead in the event by authorities.
The two lone survivors were members of the crew who were seated near the rear of the aircraft when it crashed. As authorities work to identify the victims, the process has been slow, with over 600 body parts being recovered from the wreckage. As of Monday, 141 bodies have been identified, and DNA and fingerprint samples are being collected from the remaining victims, according to The Guardian .
The youngest passenger was just three years old, while the oldest was 78. The tragic loss has sparked an outpouring of grief across South Korea, where many families are demanding a swift return of their loved ones' remains. Before I start, I would like to express my wishes to the families of the 179 victims who didn't survive Flight 2216.
Jeju Air made the headlines for the wrong reasons. On Sunday, December 29, Flight 2216 crash landed into an airport perimeter fence, claiming the lives of 179 victims. It marks the first fatal accident the company's history.
The next day, Flight 101 was forced to turn back to Seoul-Gimpo after experiencing a malfunctioning landing gear.These accidents sparked numerous questions about Jeju Air's maintenance and training record, which I fear will put a permanent dent on the airline's reputation.With that being said, do you think Jeju Air's future is in jeopardy after these two accidents?Disclaimer: The following is a statement shared by one of our readers and does not necessarily reflect the views or ideas of our publication.
According to the British newspaper The Independent , experts stated it didn't appear plausible that the landing gear malfunctioned because of a bird hit alone..
