South Korea Speaks On Jeju Air Jet Black Boxes

The Boeing 737-800, en route from Thailand to Muan, South Korea, on December 29, was carrying 181 passengers and crew when it belly-landed at Muan airport and exploded after hitting a concrete barrier. The disaster marked the deadliest aviation accident on South Korean soil.

According to the transport ministry, an analysis of the black boxes revealed that neither the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) nor the flight data recorder (FDR) captured any data during the final four minutes before the aircraft collided with the localizer, a navigation aid located at the end of the runway.

The localizer’s role in the accident has been cited as a contributing factor to the crash’s severity.

The damaged flight data recorder was initially deemed irrecoverable by South Korean authorities, who sent it to the U.S. for analysis at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) lab.

However, it appears that both recorders lost critical data during the final moments of the flight, leaving investigators to search for answers.

“The investigation into the cause of the data loss is ongoing as part of the broader accident inquiry,” the ministry stated.

Both South Korean and U.S. investigators continue to probe the cause of the crash, which has led to widespread national mourning and memorials across the country.

While the boxes remain essential to the investigation, authorities are determined to uncover the full circumstances of the tragedy.

“The investigation will proceed through the examination and analysis of various data sources. The committee is committed to thoroughly determining the cause of the accident,” the ministry affirmed.

Among the possible causes being examined are a bird strike, malfunctioning landing gear, and the runway barrier.

Before the crash, the pilot had reported a bird strike and aborted the first landing attempt. On the second attempt, the aircraft crashed when the landing gear failed to deploy

. Lead investigator Lee Seung-yeol confirmed this week that feathers were found in one of the plane’s recovered engines but emphasized that a bird strike typically does not cause an immediate engine failure.

Authorities have conducted raids on several locations, including Muan airport, a regional aviation office in southwestern South Korea, and Jeju Air’s office in Seoul. Jeju Air’s CEO has also been prohibited from leaving the country.

In response to the incident, a joint task force has been established to investigate the crash, and South Korea’s Transport Minister Park Sang-woo offered his resignation, expressing deep responsibility for the tragedy.

“As the minister responsible for aviation safety, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility regarding this disaster,” he said.