South Korean authorities said Tuesday they would investigate whether the concrete wall at Muan Airport, which a plane crashed into on Sunday, complied with all regulations. The crash killed 179 passengers.
On Monday, South Korean interim President Choi Sang-mok also ordered a safety inspection of the country’s aviation system.
Interim President Choi Mok said the top priority now is to identify the victims, support their families, and care for the two survivors. However, once all the victims have been identified, “the Ministry of Transport is requested to conduct a safety inspection of the entire aircraft control system,” the president hopes, to prevent another plane crash.
South Korea’s Transportation Ministry announced Monday that it plans to subject all 101 Boeing 737-800 aircraft currently operating in South Korea to “special inspections.” Vice Aviation Minister Joo Jong-wan said maintenance reports on critical parts such as engines and landing gear will be examined. The inspection will last until Jan. 3, he said.
On Tuesday, South Korean authorities announced that they would investigate whether the concrete wall at Muan Airport complied with all regulations. When asked about the legality of such a concrete wall, the government will “examine the relevant regulations and their implementation,” said Kim Hong-rak, an airport supervisor.
On Sunday, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-8AS passenger plane with 181 people on board crashed and burst into flames at Muan Airport. There were problems with the landing gear, after which an emergency landing failed. 179 people on board died. It was the deadliest plane crash in South Korea’s history. Only two of the six crew members survived.
How the accident could have happened is still unclear. There were already suspicions that the aircraft had come into contact with birds. The Ministry of Transport confirms that the pilots did indeed report this shortly before landing in an emergency call to air traffic control. The collision may have caused problems with the landing gear. This was not extended when landing at Muan airport.
Determining the cause of the accident could prove more complicated and time-consuming than usual. One of the two black boxes found by South Korean investigators is damaged and missing essential data. The Ministry of Transport said the data cannot be read on Tuesday.
The remains of 141 of the 179 fatalities in the plane crash at South Korea’s Muan airport have been identified. All bodies have been transferred to a temporary morgue. The families of the victims will be informed once autopsies are completed, the ministry said at a news conference.
Relatives of the victims have been gathering at Muan airport since the incident, demanding more information from the authorities and faster identification of the victims.
