The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that after the Jeju Air passenger plane incident at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla, a special inspection will be conducted for the Boeing 737-800 model, and measures to reduce bird strike risks will be strengthened in new airport construction.
On the 30th, during a briefing at the Government Complex Sejong, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced plans to strengthen the investigation into the accident model and airport safety facilities.
The Boeing 737-800 model involved in this incident is mainly used by domestic low-cost carriers (LCC), with a total of 101 units in operation domestically including 39 by Jeju Air, 27 by T’way Air, 19 by Jin Air, and 10 by EastarJet.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport noted, “We will conduct a comprehensive safety inspection including the operation rate, pre- and post-flight inspections, and maintenance records of the model,” and added, “We will thoroughly check if the airlines’ maintenance systems comply with regulations.”
The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recovered from the accident passenger plane have been transported to the Gimpo Airport Testing and Analysis Center to verify if they can be analyzed. The accident investigation will be conducted with the cooperation of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and the engine manufacturer CFMI.
Ju Jong-wan, director of aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, noted, “The black boxes were transported to Gimpo Airport at 10 a.m.,” and added, “Experts will proceed with assessing the extent of damage and the possibility of data extraction.”
During the Jeju Air passenger plane incident, the Jeju Air flight 7C2216 attempting a belly landing, landed at one-third of the runway but failed to reduce speed fully by the end, resulting in an overrun. A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official explained, “The landing point is estimated to be about one-third from the direction of runway 19, and after landing at this point, it exceeded the end of the runway and overran.” It was analyzed that the landing gear, essential for deceleration, did not operate properly, and a safe stopping distance was not secured.
Regarding the bird strike issue identified as a cause of the accident, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to strengthen management measures for bird strike risks in new airport construction. A Ministry official emphasized, “The strategic environmental assessment of the airport already includes regulations to reduce bird strike risks,” adding, “In the new airport project, we will review these more thoroughly, consult with experts, and prepare additional measures.”