The interim president has ordered a comprehensive safety review following the plane crash.
South Korean authorities have initiated a thorough inspection of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by domestic airlines after Sunday’s crash of a Jeju Air plane at Muan International Airport, which claimed 179 lives.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that the review will focus on maintenance records of critical systems such as engines and landing gear for all 101 aircraft of the same model operated by six South Korean airlines.
Interim President Choe Sang-mok mandated the safety inspection during a crisis meeting in Seoul. He emphasized that the immediate priority is to identify the victims, support their families, and care for the two survivors.
“Before final results are available, we urge authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into the crash and promptly update the families of the victims,” Choe said.
The Boeing 737-800 had 181 people onboard
The plane, en route from Thailand, carried 181 passengers and crew. During an emergency hard landing without extended landing gear, the aircraft veered off the runway and collided with a concrete wall at the runway’s end, triggering an explosion. Only the tail section remained intact. Two crew members survived the tragedy.
South Korea’s Ministry of Transportation reported that the pilots informed the control tower before landing that the aircraft had collided with birds. The control tower had issued a warning about nearby bird activity moments earlier.
The ministry suspects that the pilots may not have had enough time to dump fuel, which would have reduced the plane’s weight for a safer landing. Authorities also confirmed that the flight data recorder was recovered, although its exterior is damaged.
