Authorities have discovered signs of a bird strike on a Jeju Air passenger aircraft that went down in South Korea last December, resulting in the deaths of 179 individuals.
The feathers and blood found on both engines of the Jeju Air flight belonged to the Baikal teal, a migratory duck species that travels in large groups, as indicated by an initial investigation report released on Monday.
The investigation into the crash, which marked the deadliest incident on South Korean territory, will now investigate the impact of the bird strike and a concrete structure located at the end of the runway into which the aircraft crashed.
The Boeing 737-800 engines will be disassembled, and further examinations of the concrete structure will be conducted, according to the report.
The Jeju Air flight departed from Bangkok on the morning of December 29 and was en route to Muan International Airport in the country’s southwestern part. At approximately 08:57 local time, just three minutes after the pilots established communication with the airport, the control tower warned the crew to be vigilant about “bird activity.” The pilot reported a bird strike two minutes later and issued a mayday call.
The pilot subsequently sought permission to land from the opposite direction, during which the aircraft belly-landed without its landing gear extended. It overrun the runway and erupted in flames after crashing into the concrete structure.
Officials noted that flight data and cockpit voice recordings from the aircraft ceased to capture information about four minutes before the incident.
Specialists who have operated the same model of aircraft involved in the crash have expressed concerns regarding the presence of the concrete barriers at the end of the runway, with some indicating that the number of casualties might have been reduced if they were not present.
The concrete structure houses a navigation apparatus that aids planes in landing, referred to as a localiser. South Korea’s transportation ministry indicated that this navigation system is also installed at several other airports and internationally.
Last week, officials announced plans to modify the concrete barriers utilised for navigation at seven airports nationwide. Additionally, seven airports will undergo adjustments to their runway safety zones following a review.
