South Korea’s aviation authorities announced plans to send a critical black box from the ill-fated Jeju Air crash to the United States for analysis after deeming it irretrievable domestically. The crash, which occurred Sunday, claimed 179 lives in the worst aviation disaster in South Korea’s history, with only two flight attendants surviving the tragedy.
The Boeing 737-800, carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea, issued a mayday call before belly-landing at Muan International Airport. The aircraft collided with a concrete barrier, burst into flames, and was engulfed in fire, leaving the wreckage strewn across the runway.
Deputy Minister for Civil Aviation Joo Jong-wan confirmed that the flight data recorder (FDR), which suffered significant damage and lost a key connector, will be analyzed in collaboration with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The cockpit voice recorder (CVR), however, has been partially recovered, and officials are in the process of converting data to audio to retrieve the pilots’ final communications.
Investigators, including experts from Boeing and the NTSB, are focusing on multiple factors that may have contributed to the crash. Initial suspicions of a bird strike have expanded to include a possible mechanical failure in the landing gear. Local reports suggest the landing gear deployed properly during the first landing attempt but malfunctioned during the second.
The crash’s aftermath has left the nation in mourning. Hundreds of mourners gathered at Muan airport to pay their respects at a memorial altar. Overflowing crowds prompted authorities to redirect mourners to alternative memorial sites established nationwide. Families of victims, many unable to eat due to grief, have been provided medical care at the airport.
The country’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, confirmed that investigators are conducting a joint analysis of the aircraft’s structure, black box data, and the airport’s navigation system. A concrete structure housing a localizer, blamed for exacerbating the crash’s severity, remains a focal point in the probe.
The plane carried mostly Korean holidaymakers returning from year-end trips to Bangkok, alongside two Thai nationals. As the nation seeks closure, a comprehensive review promises to uncover the cause of the tragedy and prevent future disasters.
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