At the end of December last year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Committee (AAIC) released interim investigation results indicating pilot operational error regarding the Muan Airport disaster. The Korea Civil Aviation Pilots Association (Pilots Association) strongly condemned this, stating that the Ministry and AAIC are framing the pilot's negligence in the Muan Airport disaster.
On the 21st, the Pilots Association issued a statement claiming, "The AAIC is trying to determine the cause of the accident solely as 'pilot error', ignoring the complexity of the accident and the overall system failure." They added that it was a distorted conclusion based on a predetermined orientation set from the beginning to make pilots scapegoats, neglecting the basics of an investigative agency.
Previously, on the 19th, the AAIC explained the investigation results of the engines of the Jeju Air accident passenger aircraft to the families of the victims. In March, both engines of the accident aircraft were sent to France, where the engine manufacturer is located, for detailed investigation. The interim results indicate that the pilot improperly turned off the left engine while it was operational. As a result, the output from the left engine completely disappeared, cutting off the aircraft's main power, and the landing gear could not operate normally, according to the AAIC.
The AAIC did not mention the engine damage and the concrete berm installed at the end of the runway, which were raised during the disaster. In response, the Pilots Association stated, "The AAIC tried to make the public perceive that the pilot had decisive negligence, even though there were significant risk factors such as engine damage on both sides due to a bird strike and the berm of the localizer facility." They criticized this as distorting an ongoing investigation as if it were a conclusion and said it was a wrong investigative behavior that ignored the overall complex contributing factors of the aircraft system. They further added, "This clearly reveals the AAIC's lack of expertise and retrogressive nature."
On the same day, the Pilots Association demanded: ▲ immediate cessation of opaque investigation proceedings and blame-shifting actions ▲ disclosure of all investigation-related materials, including flight data recorders (FDR) and cockpit voice recorders (CVR) ▲ participation of external civilian experts designated by the bereaved families in the accident investigation and a review of the entire investigative process ▲ acknowledgment of responsibilities for the bird strike and berm installation by the Ministry ▲ amendments to aviation safety laws to enhance bird management and surveillance systems and airport facility management regulations ▲ public disclosure of plans to remove airport structures and risk factors.
The Pilots Association pointed out that the AAIC's structure, which operates under the Ministry, is also problematic. They noted, "This is a clear conflict of interest that completely undermines the independence and objectivity of the investigation," adding, "If the parties responsible for the accident intervene in the investigation to evade their responsibility and shift all blame onto the pilots, no citizen will trust the investigation results."
They emphasized further, "Aviation safety begins with thorough self-reflection and improvement regarding the structural unprofessionalism of the bureaucratic organization, rather than the authoritative administration of the managing authorities," and urged, "Immediately stop the actions that hurt the families of victims with superficial investigative practices."