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South Korea releases preliminary report on Jeju Air tragedy

LA (synthesis) January 27, 2025 13:45

South Korea has released a preliminary report on the Jeju Air tragedy in December, focusing on factors such as the plane hitting a bird and a concrete wall at the end of the runway.

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Rescue workers at the scene of the Jeju Air plane crash on December 29, 2024. Photo: AP

South Korean authorities today released a six-page preliminary report on the Jeju Air plane crash that killed 179 people on December 29, 2024.

"The aircraft hit the concrete wall at the end of the runway, resulting in a massive explosion and fire. Both engines were buried in the ground, while the nose of the aircraft broke apart and debris was scattered 30-200 meters away," investigators wrote in the report, referring to the scene after the accident.

Investigators found blood and feathers in both engines. DNA testing showed they came from Baikal teal, a bird that migrates to South Korea during the winter.

The report also highlighted information that was initially released, such as the crew being warned of the risk of a bird strike while approaching the runway. The time of the bird strike is unknown, but the pilot issued a distress signal by shouting “Mayday” three times while aborting the landing and climbing.

The concrete wall and raised ground, where the Instrument Landing System (ILS) was installed, at the end of the runway at Muan International Airport "were likely factors in causing the large casualties," the report said.

Investigators have not concluded why the plane failed to deploy its landing gear and landed on its belly, nor why the black boxes stopped recording data just before the pilots sent a distress signal, leaving them without information for about four minutes before the Boeing 737-800 hit the wall.

At the time the two black boxes stopped working, the plane was at an altitude of 152 m, speed of 298 km/h and about 2 km from the runway.

"A comprehensive investigation into the Jeju Air disaster is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident," the report said.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requires accident investigators to issue a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident, and encourages the release of a complete report within 12 months.

Jeju Air's Boeing 737-800 crashed on December 29, 2024, skidded off the runway, crashed into a concrete wall at the edge of the airport, and burst into flames, killing 179 of the 181 people on board. This is the deadliest aviation disaster ever on South Korean soil.

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South Korea releases preliminary report on Jeju Air tragedy