At Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on Oct. 29, a passenger plane carrying 181 passengers and crew members crashes, and flames are rising. Fire authorities state, “Of the 181 people on board the plane, all except the two survivors are presumed dead.” /Courtesy of News1

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 29th that they plan to investigate the exact cause of the aircraft accident at Muan International Airport once the situation is under control. When asked if the crash into the airport's exterior wall was due to the runway being too short, they responded, "The runway is 2,800 meters long, so it is difficult to consider it the cause of the accident."

Joo Jong-wan, the Deputy Minister of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, held a briefing at the ministry's press room in the Sejong government complex, stating, "Recovery is the top priority. Once recovery is somewhat achieved, we will retrieve things like the black box."

Deputy Minister Joo noted the various opinions on the exact cause of the accident, stating, "I think it is a measure to prevent confusion by conducting a precise investigation and speaking about the results. Once the situation is under control, the researcher dispatched to the scene will investigate the cause of the accident."

Regarding the landing gear malfunction, which was pointed out as one of the causes of the accident, it was noted, "The witnessed content and the conclusion after the aircraft inspection may differ. Claims that the issue with the landing gear due to a bird strike is the cause have emerged, but a clear investigation is necessary to determine the cause."

In response to suspicions that the accident occurred because Muan Airport's runway is shorter compared to other airports, it was explained, "The runway length is 2,800 meters. Even before, C-class aircraft of a similar size to the aircraft involved in the accident have been operating consistently, so it is hard to see the runway length as the cause of the accident."

Regarding reports that the pilot, experiencing difficulty landing, made an emergency request to the control tower, it was stated that "it has not been confirmed."

Concerning the suspicions of a defect in the accident aircraft, it was stated, "We plan to investigate the maintenance history of the aircraft separately." In addition, it was mentioned that "there is a periodic (inspection) cycle according to the aviation law, and we will check if it was thoroughly followed." The statement also added that "we need to compare to see if there were many safety obstacles for this particular aircraft."