Photo: Collected
South Korea will conduct safety inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country's airlines following a deadly crash on Sunday that killed 179 people. The crash, which is South Korea's worst aviation disaster in decades, has raised national concerns as the government struggles to address the situation amid a leadership vacuum.
New acting President Choi Sang-mok led a task force meeting on Monday, instructing authorities to review the country's aircraft operations systems.
"The essence of a responsible response would be renovating the aviation safety systems on the whole to prevent recurrences of similar incidents and building a safer Republic of South Korea," Choi, also the finance minister, said.
The Boeing 737-800, operated by Jeju Air, had aborted its first landing attempt for unclear reasons. During its second attempt, it received a bird strike warning before the pilot issued a distress signal.
The plane landed without its front landing gear deployed, overshot the runway, hit a concrete fence, and burst into flames.
Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines, stated the Boeing 737-800 is a "proven airplane," unlike the Boeing 737 Max, which was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
South Korea's Transport Ministry announced it would inspect all 101 Boeing 737-800s in the country, focusing on Jeju Air, which operates 39 of these planes. Representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing are set to join the investigation.
Officials are also reviewing the design of Muan airport's localizer, a concrete fence with antennas meant to guide planes during landings. The Transport Ministry confirmed similar structures exist at other airports in South Korea, as well as in the US, Spain, and South Africa.
Video footage of the crash indicated a possible hydraulic failure, with the pilots failing to deploy flaps or slats to slow the plane. Retired pilot John Cox said the aircraft was still under control, and the close proximity of the barrier likely worsened the damage.
Another Jeju Air 737-800 experienced a landing gear issue earlier on Monday but returned to Seoul as a precaution. Authorities are also investigating potential communication problems between the pilot and air traffic controllers during the crash.
The crash, which is South Korea's deadliest since 1997, has prompted a seven-day national mourning period. The Transport Ministry has identified 146 bodies and continues to collect DNA and fingerprint samples from the remaining 33 victims.
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