Firefighters remove tarpaulins covering the debris of a Jeju Air passenger plane at Muan International Airport, southwestern South Korea, on Jan. 13, 2025, following its crash on Dec. 29, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean authorities investigating the tragic Jeju Air crash last month released a preliminary accident report Monday, revealing that the aircraft’s black box stopped recording approximately 2 kilometers before the plane approached the runway.
It is the first report as part of the ongoing investigation into the deadly crash at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, which claimed the lives of 179 of the 181 people aboard the Boeing 737-800. Only two people survived.
The preliminary findings will be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as aviation authorities in the United States, France and Thailand, according to the transportation ministry.
The ICAO, a United Nations agency, mandates that investigators produce a preliminary report within 30 days of an aviation accident. It also encourages the release of a final report within 12 months.
The investigation committee under the transport ministry disclosed the approximate location where the black box, comprising the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), stopped functioning.
According to the report, the black box stopped recording at 8:58:50 a.m. on Dec. 29, four minutes and seven seconds before the aircraft struck a localizer near the runway.
The ministry noted it would take several months to analyze the FDR and the CVR for further verification.
The report further stated that the exact timing of the bird strike, the number of birds involved and whether other bird species were present have yet to be determined.
The ministry briefed bereaved families on the preliminary findings during a meeting Saturday.
(Yonhap)
