A Jeju Air flight from Seoul was forced to return on Monday after experiencing a landing gear malfunction, as reported by the airline, just a day following South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster.
The Boeing 737-800 involved in this recent situation was the same type as the Jeju Air aircraft that crashed on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of 179 individuals after landing without its landing gear deployed.
Jeju Air Flight 7C101, which took off from Gimpo International Airport in Seoul heading to Jeju island “at approximately 6:37 am, returned to Gimpo at 7:25 am” after a landing gear issue was identified shortly post-departure, according to the South Korean airline.
“A signal indicating a landing gear problem was detected on the aircraft’s monitoring system shortly after takeoff,” said Song Kyung-hoon, the head of the management support office at Jeju Air, during a press briefing.
“At 6:57 am, the captain contacted ground control, and after taking precautions, the landing gear functioned normally again. However, the decision was reached to return to the airport for a comprehensive inspection of the aircraft.”
Reports from local media indicated that 21 passengers opted not to board an alternative flight to Jeju, citing safety concerns and other factors.
Jeju Air’s fleet consists of 41 aircraft, with 39 Boeing 737-800 models. On Monday, the South Korean government announced it would conduct a special inspection of all 101 Boeing 737-800 planes currently operating in the country, with investigators from the US, potentially including representatives from Boeing, set to join the investigation into the crash.
“We are considering plans to perform a special inspection on B737-800 aircraft,” said Joo Jong-wan, the head of the aviation policy bureau at the South Korean transport ministry.
Joo also said the government intends to “carry out strict safety inspections in aviation in light of the recent (landing gear) incidents.” In the crash on Sunday at Muan, the Boeing 737-800, transporting 181 individuals from Thailand to South Korea, issued a mayday call and performed a belly landing before colliding with a barrier and erupting in flames.
All travellers aboard Jeju Air Flight 2216 perished, except two flight attendants who were rescued from the wreckage.
