Aviation experts are raising concerns regarding the cause of the recent Jeju Air flight crash in South Korea, which resulted in 179 fatalities. Following the incident, authorities have cited a potential bird strike, but experts question how much impact it could have had on the aircraft’s control.
The Boeing 737-800 was attempting to land at Muan International Airport when it appeared without its landing gear deployed, skidding down the runway and crashing into a wall. “At this point, there are far more questions than answers,” said Gregory Alegi, an aviation expert and former instructor at Italy’s air force academy. “Why was the plane going so fast? Why were the flaps not open? Why was the landing gear not down?”
Officials from South Korea are investigating the crash and assessing the conditions, including the possibility of a bird strike and weather factors. Deputy Transport Minister Joo Jong-wan noted that the runway’s length was adequate, and the surrounding walls met industry standards.
Christian Beckert, a Lufthansa pilot and flight safety expert, pointed to the video evidence suggesting that the majority of the plane’s braking systems were not activated, which could have contributed to the high-speed landing. He also expressed skepticism about the likelihood of a bird strike damaging the landing gear when it was still retracted.
The investigation into the crash will lead by South Korea but will involve the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, given that the aircraft was manufactured in the United States. Experts contend that aviation accidents typically arise from a combination of factors, and piecing together the complete sequence of events may take months.
Both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder were recovered hours later, aiding in the ongoing investigation.
Following a bird strike warning issued by the control tower, pilots declared a mayday and attempted to land from the opposite direction, a decision that further complicates the investigation, according to Marco Chan, a former pilot and senior lecturer in aviation operations.
The captain of the aircraft had amassed 6,823 flight hours since becoming a captain in 2019, while the first officer had approximately 1,650 hours of experience since his promotion earlier this year.
While the Boeing 737-800 is one of the most widely used airliners globally, known for its strong safety record, experts maintain that the consequences of this incident suggest more than just a bird strike was involved. “Of course there might have been a bird strike,” Alegi concluded. “But the scale of the disaster goes far beyond that.”
Credit: Reuters
