Just one minute before its black box recording ceased, air traffic control alerted the unfortunate Jeju Air plane involved in last month’s fatal crash about bird activity, the transport ministry revealed on Saturday.
Following its investigation into the December 29 accident of the low-cost carrier plane from Bangkok that killed 179 people on board and left two survivors in the southern city of Muan, South Korea, the ministry informed the relatives of the deceased of the preliminary results.
According to the ministry, the preliminary report would be forwarded to the United States, France, Thailand, and the International Civil Aviation Organization by Monday.
According to the ministry’s inquiry team, surveillance footage taken at the scene of the accident at Muan International Airport verified that the plane tried a go-around when it collided with a flock of birds.
At 8:54:43 am, as it was getting ready to land, the aircraft made contact with the air traffic control tower for the first time.
It was authorized to land on Runway 01, which is the opposite direction of the runway where the accident occurred, by the control tower.
The aircraft received a warning from the control tower regarding a possible bird strike at 8:57:50 a.m. The first officer and captain discussed a group of birds flying beneath the plane around 8:58:11 a.m.
Given that the tape seems to have ended around 8:58:50 am, it seems likely that the jet lost power after the bird strikes caused both engines to shut down.
According to the ministry, blood and feathers from what appeared to be a species of winter migratory duck were discovered on both engines.
According to the ministry, the pilot is thought to have issued the emergency “mayday” distress call at 8:58:56 a.m., but this estimate was synchronized with the control tower records because there is no recording of it left in the black box.
Before landing without the landing gear deployed, the aircraft flew for approximately four minutes in the opposite direction. At 9:02:57 a.m., it collided into a concrete localizer mound and burst into flames.
Analysis of flight data and cockpit audio recordings for verification will take several months, according to the government.
The organization that represents the families of the victims announced that it has chosen to stop looking for the victims’ remains at the scene of the disaster.
The remains discovered at the scene have been forwarded by the authorities to the National Forensics Institute for identification.
