The two black boxes on the Boeing jet involved in the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil stopped recording about four minutes before the accident, officials have said.
After analysing the devices, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders stopped working about four minutes before the crash, the South Korean Transportation Ministry said.
Investigators previously said the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were key to finding out the cause of last month’s crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board. The youngest victim was a three-year-old boy.
The Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air skidded off a runway in the South Korean town of Muan on December 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames.
South Korean officials sent the devices to the NTSB for closer examination after discovering that some of the data was missing.
The transportation ministry said it was not clear why the devices failed to record data in the last four minutes.
‘Data from the CVR (cockpit voice recorder) and FDR (flight data recorder) are crucial in investigating accidents, but such investigations are conducted through the examination and analysis of various sources of information, and we plan to do our utmost to determine the cause of the accident,’ the ministry said in a statement.
South Korean investigators have said that air traffic controllers warned the pilot about possible bird strikes two minutes before the aircraft issued a distress signal confirming that a bird strike had occurred, after which the pilot attempted an emergency landing.
A plane carrying 181 people crashed into a wall at at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29
The crash that killed all but two of the 181 people on board. The youngest victim was believed to be a three-year-old boy
Terrifying footage broadcasted by local MBC-TV showed the moment the aircraft started to show some sort of explosion out of one side as it neared the airport.
The Foreign Office previously confirmed to MailOnline that no Britons were on board the flight.
South Korean officials have also pledged to improve airport safety after experts linked the high death toll to Muan airport’s localiser system, the structure hit by the aircraft as it crashed.
The localiser, a set of antennas designed to guide aircraft during landings, was housed in a concrete structure covered with dirt on an elevated embankment.
This has raised questions about whether the structure should have been built with lighter materials that would break more easily upon impact.
After the crash, Jeju Air chief executive, Kim E-bae offered a lengthy apology that was translated by The Guardian.
‘First, we bow our heads in apology to everyone who has trusted Jeju Air. At approximately 9:03am on 29 December, flight 7C2216 from Bangkok to Muan caught fire while landing at Muan International Airport.
‘Above all, we express our deepest condolences and apologies to the families of the passengers who lost their lives in this accident. At present, the cause of the accident is difficult to determine, and we must await the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies.
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae and officials bow to apologise for their plane’s incident at Muan International Airport during a press conference after the crash in Seoul, South Korea
The wreckage left behind after the plane carrying 181 passengers crashed in South Korea
This handout photo taken and released on December 29, 2024 by the South Korean National Fire Agency shows the scene where a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 series aircraft crashed and burst into flames
South Korean officials have also pledged to improve airport safety after experts linked the high death toll to Muan airport’s localiser system, the structure hit by the aircraft as it crashed
‘Regardless of the cause, as CEO, I feel profound responsibility for this incident. Jeju Air will do everything possible to promtly manage this accident and support the families of those aboard.
‘We will also do our utmost to determine the cause of the accident in cooperation with the government.
‘Once again, we pray for those who lost their lives in this accident and offer our deepest apologies to their bereaved families.’
Despite being known as a cheaper flying option, Jeju Air had a largely good safety record leading up to the crash.
In 2023, the airline had an ‘A’ rating from the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which is considered ‘very good.’ Airlines got as high a grade as A++ last year.
Jeju Air was the subject of a federal investigation for a plane having flown despite having a defect in the tip of its wings in 2023. That year, federal judges gave them a ‘C’ for safety.
It was previously reported that this was the first crash in the airline’s history which dates back to 2005.
