Pilots In Fiery South Korean Plane Crash Shut Off Wrong Engine After Bird Strike

Chung Sung-jun/Getty Images

Commercial aviation's turbulent twelvemonth began successful precocious December pinch Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashing astatine Muan International Airport successful South Korea, sidesplitting each but 2 group onboard. Investigators told nan victims' families connected Saturday that nan flight's pilots unopen disconnected nan little damaged motor aft suffering a vertebrate onslaught while approaching nan airport. On nan aforesaid day, South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAID) cancelled a property merchandise astir nan collapsed plane's engines, fueling nan dissatisfaction of Jeju Air pilots' national pinch nan investigation.

The vertebrate onslaught unsocial apt won't beryllium officially declared nan crash's cause, but it sparked nan concatenation of events that led to nan catastrophic impact. The formation unit declared emergency aft nan vertebrate strike. However, nan landing cogwheel grounded to deploy for landing. The pilots attempted a belly landing and slid on nan tarmac past nan extremity of nan runway. The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 slammed into an earthen embankment bolstered by a actual wall conscionable 820 feet from nan runway. The effect killed 179 people. The 2 surviving formation attendants were strapped into jump seats successful nan rear galley, which collapsed free during nan clang pinch nan remainder of nan tail conception and avoided nan fiery impact.

Chung Sung-jun/Getty Images

There are still galore questions surrounding nan crash, pinch nan last study yet to beryllium released. According to Reuters, Jeju Air pilots' national claims that ARAID is preparing nan crushed to spot nan blasted connected nan formation crew. Eyewitnesses connected nan crushed saw flames and sparks trailing from nan correct motor aft nan vertebrate strike, but nan pilots unopen disconnected nan near engine. Despite duck remains being recovered successful some engines, investigators person suggested that thing was incorrect pinch nan near engine. Additionally, location has been nary grounds provided that nan landing could person been safely completed pinch a azygous engine.

The pilots' national and nan victims' families judge that investigators are ignoring nan different circumstances astir nan crash, particularly nan airdrome itself. First, nan craft would person safely slid to a halt if Muan International Airport didn't person its different earthen obstruction astatine nan extremity of nan runway. Officials claimed it was to protect installation instruments, but astir awesome airports time off them exposed to let ample unfastened abstraction for overrunning aircraft. Second, nan section vertebrate organization was a known threat astatine Muan. There are 3 vertebrate habitats astir nan airport. Korean regulations required that 4 airdrome labor must beryllium tasked pinch driving birds distant from nan runway. However, only 1 personification was connected work nan time of nan crash, the Korea Herald reported. Also, nan deployment of recommended vertebrate mitigation technology, for illustration sound cannons, was delayed owed to renovations to lengthen nan runway.

It would beryllium absurd to state nan clang arsenic solely aviator correction erstwhile location were aggregate contributing factors. Failing to place those factors successful either nan property merchandise aliases nan last study could lead to those issues not being addressed and perchance contributing to a early fatal crash.