The South Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) has issued a preliminary report on the Jeju Air accident that resulted in 179 fatalities. The crash involved a Boeing 737-800, which encountered difficulties after striking a flock of birds. The incident occurred in December when the aircraft was en route from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Muan International Airport.
The report reveals that both flight recorders ceased operation minutes before the crash, with bird feathers and blood found in the engines. The ARAIB noted that “the airplane belly-landed without its landing gear deployed, overran the runway, and crashed into the embankment, including the installed localizers, bursting into flames.”
Jeju Air flight 7C2216 had 181 people on board at the time of the crash. After taking off from Bangkok, it was cleared to land on runway 01 at Muan Airport. However, air traffic control warned of bird activity just before both cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) stopped recording.
The pilots identified a flock of birds during their approach to runway 01. A distress call was made following a bird strike during an attempted go-around. Security footage confirmed proximity to birds during this maneuver.
“Both engines were examined, and feathers and bird blood stains were found on each,” said ARAIB. Samples were analyzed and identified as belonging to Baikal Teals, migratory birds present in South Korea during winter.
This preliminary report indicates ongoing investigations involving engine teardown and analysis of CVR/FDR data. “These all-out investigation activities aim to determine the accurate cause of the accident,” ARAIB stated.
Assistance is being provided by international bodies such as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and France’s Bureau d’enquêtes et d’analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA).
Further details reveal that the aircraft involved was manufactured in 2009 by Boeing for Ryanair before entering service with Jeju Air in 2017. Past amendments by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have addressed CVR and FDR reliability issues following previous accidents where insufficient data hampered investigations.
“By January 1, 2005,” states FAA guidelines, “retrofit all airplanes that are required to carry a CVR and an FDR with a CVR that […] is fitted with a 10-minute independent power source.”
Boeing proposed changes apply globally; however, economic constraints prevent mandatory retrofits for existing aircraft systems outside US jurisdiction.
Park Sang-woo, South Korea’s Transport Minister, announced his resignation amid ongoing responses to this crisis.
