The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it plans to extract data from the flight data recorder (FDR) of the Jeju Air passenger plane that was involved in an accident at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do starting from the 9th.
According to the ministry, the FDR taken to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, U.S., has completed preparations for data extraction at 8 a.m. Korean time (6 p.m. local time on the 8th).
This device was collected at the accident site on the day of the disaster in the afternoon, but the connector connecting the data storage unit and the power supply unit was damaged. The Accident Investigation Commission reviewed the option of repairing it domestically but decided to consult with the NTSB about repairing it in the U.S. instead, as there was a risk that the data could be damaged during the repair process. The NTSB headquarters has separate equipment for extracting data from the damaged FDR.
A ministry official noted, "We plan to start data extraction from today." Investigators dispatched to the site are reportedly expected to return home next week with the extracted data.
The data recorded in the FDR will undergo a process of decoding in the future. Basic data such as the time of the accident, engine status, altitude, and aircraft speed are said to be verifiable within 2 to 3 days. Subsequently, the situation at the time of the accident will be understood by simulating circumstances by cross-referencing the FDR records with data from another black box device, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). It is reported that it will take more than 6 months to derive final results through this comprehensive analysis.
Typically, interim briefings are often omitted during aviation accident investigations. This is because inaccurate information might be disclosed first, which can restrict the objective and neutral progress of the investigation. However, considering the large number of victims in this accident and the high public interest, the government plans to announce parts that can be disclosed even at the interim stage.
Lee Seung-yeol, head of the accident investigation team, said at a press briefing on the 7th, "Once the extraction and analysis of the FDR data are completed, we intend to share necessary information," adding, "I cannot provide you with assumptions during the investigation, but we plan to disclose parts of the general facts as data becomes available in stages."