Authorities in South Korea have begun a comprehensive inspection of the technical condition of all Boeing 737-800s operated by airlines there after Sunday’s Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport, which claimed 179 lives. TASR informs about it with reference to the reports of the AFP and Reuters agencies.
Maintenance records for key systems such as engines and landing gear for all 101 planes operated by six airlines using the same model as the plane that crashed will be subject to a thorough review, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.
The comprehensive security review was ordered by Interim President Choe Sang-mok at a crisis staff meeting in Seoul. According to him, the highest priority at the moment is identifying the victims, supporting their families and caring for the two survivors.
“Even before the final results are available, we ask the authorities to transparently investigate the accident and promptly inform the survivors,” the president said.
There were 181 people on board the Boeing 737-800
A total of 181 people were on board the Boeing 737-800 on the route from Thailand. During an emergency hard landing without extended landing gear, the machine left the runway and exploded after hitting the concrete wall behind its end. Only the tail of the plane remained intact. Two crew members survived the accident.
South Korea’s transport ministry said the pilots told the control tower before landing that the plane had struck birds. The airport’s control tower alerted them to the proximity of the birds shortly before. The ministry believes that the pilots may not have had time to dump the fuel to reduce the plane’s weight to the level necessary for a safe landing. The department also said that the flight data recorder has been found, but it is damaged on the outside.
The investigation is led by South Korean authorities, supported by a team from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), as well as representatives of Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
So far, 146 victims have been identified using DNA analysis or fingerprinting. Muan Airport will be closed until Wednesday, other international and regional airports in South Korea are in operation. A seven-day state mourning was declared in the country until Sunday.
