Latest news Wall at the accident airport in South Korea keeps investigators busy
Following the fatal plane crash in Muan, South Korea, investigators are looking into the safety risks posed by the wall at the end of the runway. As reported by the Yonhap news agency, police searched the offices of the airport in the southwest of the country for the second day in a row. They are suspected of negligence resulting in death. Investigators reportedly want to gather evidence as to whether the concrete wall in this form complied with the usual safety regulations.
03.01.2025, 12:02
SDA
The wall enclosed an antenna system installed on it to assist pilots during landing. Shortly after the crash of the Boeing 737-800 of the South Korean low-cost airline Jeju Air last Sunday, experts questioned the usefulness of the construction. It was not actually necessary and may have caused the catastrophe in the first place, because otherwise the plane might not have crashed and exploded in a fireball.
Investigation also into radio exchange
According to the Yonhap report, investigators were also looking for records of radio communications between the tower and the pilots of the plane coming from Bangkok, as well as its previous maintenance. The plane with 181 passengers on board had landed without its landing gear deployed, skidded across the roadway and was completely destroyed by the hard impact against the wall. Only two crew members survived. Apart from two Thais, there were only Koreans on board.
The cause of the accident is likely to have been a collision with birds, which could have caused the landing gear to malfunction. Investigators are currently examining the recordings from the voice recorder in the cockpit. The flight data recorder is to be taken to the USA for analysis.
