Seoul: A preliminary investigation into the tragic crash of a Jeju Air plane last month has revealed that both engines of the Boeing 737-800 contained remains of Baikal Teals, a type of migratory duck. The report, released by South Korean authorities on Monday, is part of an ongoing effort to determine the cause of the deadliest air disaster in South Korean history.
According to the six-page report, which comes a month after the crash, both engines tested positive for DNA from Baikal Teals—ducks that migrate to South Korea for the winter in large flocks. However, the investigation has yet to draw any conclusions about the cause of the plane’s emergency landing without its landing gear deployed, or why the flight data recorders stopped functioning just four minutes before impact.
The Jeju Air flight, which originated from Bangkok on December 29, overshot the runway at Muan Airport during an emergency belly landing. The aircraft crashed into an embankment that contained vital navigation equipment, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.
“After the crash into the embankment, fire and a partial explosion occurred. Both engines were buried in the embankment’s soil mound, and the forward fuselage scattered up to 30-200 meters from the embankment,” the report stated. New images of the crash site were also released, providing further insights into the devastation caused.
The embankment at Muan Airport, which supports the localizer system’s antennae, was built from reinforced concrete and earth. Experts believe its structure likely contributed to the high death toll in the accident.
The investigation is set to continue, with authorities planning to disassemble the engines for in-depth analysis. Additionally, flight and air traffic control data will be examined, and further investigation into the embankment, the localizers, and potential bird strike evidence will take place. “These all-out investigation activities aim to determine the accurate cause of the accident,” the report affirmed.
MAYDAY Call
The report also shed light on the pilots’ awareness of a flock of birds in the plane’s final approach. Although the exact time the bird strike was reported by the pilots remains unconfirmed, the aircraft made a “Mayday” call—three times—during its go-around due to the bird strike.
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The report noted an unexplained issue, stating that the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) stopped recording simultaneously shortly before the emergency declaration was made. At the time, the aircraft was at an altitude of 498 feet (152 meters), traveling at 161 knots (298 km/h or 185 mph), approximately 1.1 nautical miles (2 km or 1.3 miles) from the runway.
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The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a U.N. agency, mandates that a preliminary report be produced within 30 days of an accident and encourages a final report within 12 months. The South Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board has shared its findings with ICAO, Thailand, and the United States and France, the home countries of the plane and engine manufacturers.
