Written by Jack Kim
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean authorities investigating last month’s Jeju Air plane crash have submitted a preliminary report on the incident to the United Nations aviation agency and to U.S., French and Thai authorities, an official said on Monday.
The report released on Monday said that the investigation into the deadliest air disaster on the country’s territory is still ongoing, and focuses on the role of the “bird strike” and includes analysis of the engines and the “local” landing guidance structure.
“These comprehensive investigative activities aim to determine the exact cause of the accident,” she added.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency, requires accident investigators to prepare an initial report within 30 days of an accident, and encourages the publication of a final report within 12 months.
A Boeing (NYSE:) 737-800, arriving from Bangkok and scheduled to arrive at Muan International Airport, overshot the runway when it made an emergency landing in the belly of the aircraft and struck the domestic structure, killing all but 181 people and crew members. two. On board on December 29th.
Experts said that a GPS device helps navigate an aircraft approaching the runway, and the structure built of reinforced concrete and earth at Muan Airport that supports the system’s antennas is likely the cause of the disaster.
The report highlighted many of the initial findings by South Korean investigators that were shared with victims’ families on Saturday, including pilots who discussed a flock of birds they spotted on its final approach.
The exact time of a bird strike reported by the pilots remains uncertain, but the plane “made an emergency announcement (Mayday x 3) for a bird strike,” the incident report said.
During the tour.”
She added, “Both engines were examined, and feather stains and bird blood were found on each of them.”
He added, “After colliding with the dam, a fire and partial explosion occurred. The two engines were buried in the dam’s soil pile, and the front fuselage was scattered at a distance of between 30 and 200 meters from the dam.”
The report did not say what might have caused the data recorders to stop recording simultaneously before the pilots declared mayday. She added that the plane was at an altitude of 498 feet (152 meters) and flying at a speed of 161 knots (298 km/h or 185 mph) at the moment the black boxes stopped recording.
